The images of rotting flesh and zombielike krokodil junkies could scarcely make for a more frightening cautionary tale about drug use, Kane-Willis said. A krokodil panic, Kane-Willis fears, will draw attention away from the need for better treatment options for drug users.
"But when you try to scare people with something that's not real, you lose credibility," she said. "And when you dehumanize someone with addictions, you make it harder for them to seek help."
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