Krokodil. Homemade drug in Russia, Alternative to heroin, rotting it's users alive.

[Colonel Flagg]

It's not the drug that's doing the damage - it's the impurities and by-products from the synthesis. (like that really matters) Purification costs time and money, and why should the dealers do this when their clientele will pay for the crap.

This is really sad. Very similar to a science fiction story I read many years ago. I believe it was entitled "Rat Race" by Raymond F. Jones, but I'm not sure.

EDIT: The name of the story is "Rat" by James Patrick Kelly. It's very depressing - do not read if you're taking Cymbalta.