Parents Beware: Krokodil is Not an Animal

Oh goodness. I have pledged to keep parents of teens in the know and that is exactly what I am going to do today. Apparently, a a synthetic alternative to heroin became popular in Russia a few years ago and now reports are trickling in that this drug may be making its way to the United States.

The drug, referred to as Krokodil or Crocodil, is a synthetic opiate reported to be cheaply made by mixing codeine based headache pills with ingredients such as lighter fluid and gasoline. Yikes! It is reported that it is significantly more powerful than heroin. Krokodil received its street name in Russia because of the effect that the drug has on the skin. According to various photos and reports the drug turns the skin scaly and green. After the skin gets this crocodile-like appearance it begins to peel off.

Look, I don’t want to be alarmist but nor do I want you to be out of the loop. And, I always want to be ahead of the trends. We know teens are susceptible to trends and risk so let’s continue to stay aware of trends like this all over the world.