Jacob Sullum on the Krokodil Crock

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CNN

Having eaten its way through the flesh of myriad Russian opiate addicts, krokodil, a nasty homemade version of the narcotic painkiller desomorphine, is burning its way across the United States. Or so major news organizations such as CNN, Time, and USA Today claim. Senior Editor Jacob Sullum explains how this tall tale was born and why it will not die.