Though it seemed drugs could not get worse than crystal meth or bath salts, krokodil has made its way to the United States. This is a drug as frightening as the reptile it is named after. From the brief mention of it in my drug awareness class, only one thing came to mind: zombies.

Krokodil, aka “the flesh-eating drug,” comes from the shores of Eastern Europe, and long story short, it is a less expensive and more hazardous version of heroin. Compared to heroin, it is much more toxic, and the duration of action, or the “high,” is much shorter. The medical name of this drug is desomorphine, and it is made from codeine mixed with gasoline, paint thinner, iodine or hydrochloric acid.

I cannot fathom why anyone would willingly inject gasoline into their body, but nevertheless, cases related to this drug are beginning to emerge in the United States. With continuous use, skin becomes green and scaly, similar to the skin of a crocodile, hence the name. If the vein is missed and the drug is injected directly into flesh, the skin will completely rot off and bare bone will be exposed, hence its other name.

This flesh-eating drug has the capability to turn one’s skin into the rotting flesh persona of a zombie. Talk of this drug in the media is increasing due to society’s fascination with zombie culture. Considered to be the most-watched drama in basic cable history, “The Walking Dead” was the center of all conversation up until its Season 4 premiere in October. With this current fad, I am concerned the drug may seem appealing to some of the die-hard “The Walking Dead” zombie fans. Though this thought may seem ridiculous, if people are willing to literally impersonate all aspects of Batman’s the Joker, why would someone not try to impersonate a zombie?

Krokodil also raises the question, “Is this as bad as it gets?” I once thought heroin or crystal meth was the worst of the worst, but I was mistaken. This highly toxic heroin substitute has crossed the Atlantic Ocean and has raised the bar for rapid devastation of the body and mind. A user’s life expectancy goes from unknown to no more than two or three years after first injections. I want to believe that no drug will exceed the ferocity of krokodil, but there is a nagging voice that tells me otherwise. If substances such as gasoline are now being incorporated into today’s drugs, I can only wonder what people will come up with next.

With the zombie attraction, the inexpensiveness and the easy access, this flesh-eating drug has the potential to grow in popularity. People should be warned to think twice before choosing this drug. Crocodile skin should only be replicated on handbags, not on the skin of human beings.