Transcript Krokodil - Sites at Penn State

Country Study - Russia
By Alex Liney
Russia - Overview
• Largest country in the world
– Nearly double the land mass of the United States
History - Politics
• Russia has had various political systems in
place throughout it’s history
– Russian Empire under the Czars
– The USSR during the Communist era from 19171991
– Currently it is defined as a federation.
History – Social Structures
• Population of over 142 million people
– About 1/3 of the US population
– Low Life expectancy compared to other
developed nations.
• Social stratification was clearly defined
between the aristocrats and peasant during
the rule of the Czars.
History – Social Structures
• The Communist Revolution ended the
disaparity, but did not destroy it.
– The working class suffered through long lines for
food, cramped living arrangements.
– The peasants still lived in poverty.
• The communist system in Russia allowed for
little upward social mobility.
– Class system never really disappeared.
History – Social Structures
• Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the class
divide is very evident and is growing.
• There is still a disparity between wealth and
privilege in Russia today.
• Russia’s unemployment rate in 2009 was
18.3%, with 13.1% of its people living below
the poverty line.
History – Drug Culture
• Russia has a reputation for
the cultivation, production,
and exportation of illicit
drugs.
• It is a major source of the
chemicals needed to produce
heroin.
• It is a major consumer of
opiate narcotics today.
– A common trend in areas
across the developed world
where poverty is present, and
social mobility is limited.
What is Krokodil?
• Krokodil is the Russian word for ‘crocodile’
– The name is not chosen at random.
• It is a bastardized version of morphine, which uses
over-the-counter codeine to produce a very cheap and
highly addictive opiate on par with morphine and
heroin.
• It is about 3 times stronger, and 10 times cheaper than
heroin.
• It is far, far more dangerous than its cousins however.
• Ingredients that can be used in krokodil production
include gasoline and paint thinner.
Krokodil Use
• The high of krokodil lasts an hour an a half,
and cooking it only takes about an hour.
– Krokodil addicts have claimed to have been
cooking and shooting the drug for 24 hours a day,
every single day.
Effects of Krokodil Use
• The injection of krokdil makes the user’s skin
become greenish and scaly (explaining the
nickname).
– This is caused by blood vessels near the injection
sight bursting and the surrounding tissue dying.
• Porous bone, like the bone in your lower jaw,
get eaten away because of the drugs acidity.
• WARNING: THE FOLLOWING SLIDE CONTAINS
GRAPHIC IMAGES.
How serious is the problem?
• Perspective
– The average life expectancy after beginning
krokodil use is 2-3 years.
– Those who are able to quit, are left disfigured.
– Sever scarring, amputation, brain damage, and
speech problems are common.
How long has this been going on?
• According to Time Magazine, it first appeared
in Siberia in 2002.
• The spread of krokodil has only taken flight in
the past three years.
– Since 2009, krokodil seizures have increased
massively – by 23-fold in only 3 years.
What caused this trend?
• Marilyn Murray, The Moscow Times
(7/3/2012)
– “In the early 1990s, as Russians were climbing out
of the wreckage of the Soviet collapse, they were
looking at a landscape without the veil of the Iron
Curtain. Many were in shock as chaos, violence
and confusion rose from the rubble with a roar…
with the fall of the Soviet system, organized crime
groups flourished as drug traffickers swept in huge
profits from this new, untouched market.”
What is being done?
• In short, the government of Russia tells
addicts to go into treatment or go to jail.
• “Despite widespread knowledge of codeine's
contribution to krokodil, a law making codeine
prescription-only did not become effective
until June 1 [2012]…Apathy instead of action
continues to be the order of the day.” –
Marylin Murray
Sources
• http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/ar
ticle/how-naivety-about-drug-addiction-ruinslives/461484.html
• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/theworld-factbook/geos/rs.html
• http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8
599,2078355,00.html
• http://countrystudies.us/russia/27.htm
• Google Images