Russia is the biggest consumer of heroin in the world. Nowhere are the country’s drug problems more evident than in the Siberian town of Novokuznetsk, which lies on the Kazakhstan border. A new moonshine drug called Krokodil is gaining popularity in the area, and its effects on addicts are devastating.
There are many theories as to why Siberia is being flooded with narcotics. We visit the hub of the local heroin trade and meet those directly effected by the influx.
There is a lack of government-sponsored rehab centers in Russia, and opiates like methadone are banned. A new wave of Christian churches which have been demonized by some as religious cults are stepping into the void.
Krokodil is a drug that eats away users from the inside out. Its ingredients are cheap and readily available from local pharmacies, so we bought them.
