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Country Study - Russia

Country Study - Russia. By Alex Liney. Russia - Overview. Largest country in the world Nearly double the land mass of the United States. History - Politics. Russia has had various political systems in place throughout it’s history Russian Empire under the Czars

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Country Study - Russia

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  1. Country Study - Russia By Alex Liney

  2. Russia - Overview • Largest country in the world • Nearly double the land mass of the United States

  3. History - Politics • Russia has had various political systems in place throughout it’s history • Russian Empire under the Czars • The USSR during the Communist era from 1917-1991 • Currently it is defined as a federation.

  4. History – Social Structures • Population of over 142 million people • About 1/3 of the US population • Low Life expectancy compared to other developed nations. • Social stratification was clearly defined between the aristocrats and peasant during the rule of the Czars.

  5. History – Social Structures • The Communist Revolution ended the disaparity, but did not destroy it. • The working class suffered through long lines for food, cramped living arrangements. • The peasants still lived in poverty. • The communist system in Russia allowed for little upward social mobility. • Class system never really disappeared.

  6. History – Social Structures • Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the class divide is very evident and is growing. • There is still a disparity between wealth and privilege in Russia today. • Russia’s unemployment rate in 2009 was 18.3%, with 13.1% of its people living below the poverty line.

  7. History – Drug Culture • Russia has a reputation for the cultivation, production, and exportation of illicit drugs. • It is a major source of the chemicals needed to produce heroin. • It is a major consumer of opiate narcotics today. • A common trend in areas across the developed world where poverty is present, and social mobility is limited.

  8. What is Krokodil? • Krokodilis the Russian word for ‘crocodile’ • The name is not chosen at random. • It is a bastardized version of morphine, which uses over-the-counter codeine to produce a very cheap and highly addictive opiate on par with morphine and heroin. • It is about 3 times stronger, and 10 times cheaper than heroin. • It is far, far more dangerous than its cousins however. • Ingredients that can be used in krokodil production include gasoline and paint thinner.

  9. Krokodil Use • The high of krokodil lasts an hour an a half, and cooking it only takes about an hour. • Krokodil addicts have claimed to have been cooking and shooting the drug for 24 hours a day, every single day.

  10. Effects of Krokodil Use • The injection of krokdil makes the user’s skin become greenish and scaly (explaining the nickname). • This is caused by blood vessels near the injection sight bursting and the surrounding tissue dying. • Porous bone, like the bone in your lower jaw, get eaten away because of the drugs acidity. • WARNING: THE FOLLOWING SLIDE CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES.

  11. How serious is the problem? • Perspective • The average life expectancy after beginning krokodil use is 2-3 years. • Those who are able to quit, are left disfigured. • Sever scarring, amputation, brain damage, and speech problems are common.

  12. How long has this been going on? • According to Time Magazine, it first appeared in Siberia in 2002. • The spread of krokodil has only taken flight in the past three years. • Since 2009, krokodil seizures have increased massively – by 23-fold in only 3 years.

  13. What caused this trend? • Marilyn Murray, The Moscow Times (7/3/2012) • “In the early 1990s, as Russians were climbing out of the wreckage of the Soviet collapse, they were looking at a landscape without the veil of the Iron Curtain. Many were in shock as chaos, violence and confusion rose from the rubble with a roar…with the fall of the Soviet system, organized crime groups flourished as drug traffickers swept in huge profits from this new, untouched market.”

  14. What is being done? • In short, the government of Russia tells addicts to go into treatment or go to jail. • “Despite widespread knowledge of codeine's contribution to krokodil, a law making codeine prescription-only did not become effective until June 1 [2012]…Apathy instead of action continues to be the order of the day.” – Marylin Murray

  15. Sources • http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/how-naivety-about-drug-addiction-ruins-lives/461484.html • https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html • http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2078355,00.html • http://countrystudies.us/russia/27.htm • Google Images

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