Teens and over the counter drugs

Over-the-counter substances, particularly cough and cold medications are becoming extremely popular as recreational drugs for young teenagers between the ages of 13 to 16. Hospitals have reported dozens of overdoses in the last two years, including five fatalities where the abuse of over-the-counter medicines was a factor. Cold medicines like Robitussin, Nyquil, Vicks Formula 44, and Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold tablets contain a chemical called Dextromethorphan (DXM), which is found in over 120 non-prescription cough and cold medications.

   Adolescents have different nicknames for DXM including: Robo, Skittles, Triple C’s, Dex, Vitamin D, and Tussin. Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold tablets contain way more potent doses of DXM than cough syrups, so the kids don’t have to drink a whole bottle of nasty tasting cough syrup. They can readily and conveniently use a few pills containing DXM to get high.

    DXM costs just a few dollars as compared to other much more expensive illegal substances. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of data on the Internet regarding how much DXM it takes kids to get high, and they can easily log on to get the information they need.   

    The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies DXM as a “drug of concern” due to if misused it can be very hazardous. Nonetheless, there are no legal restrictions on buying the drug. Drug producers have expressed sympathy regarding concerns about the abuse of DXM, but so far they have resisted efforts to restrain access to consumers.

    DXM is a synthetic substance that is chemically similar to morphine and has been added to cough syrups and certain cold medications since the 1970’s. Authorities say that DXM overdoses generally happen in clusters, as word of mouth spreads through community middle schools and high schools.

    Growing concerns about DXM have led to certain store chains and drugstores restricting access to products containing DXM, and to limiting the quantity that can be purchased at any one time (Youth Risk).

    DXM is not the only over-the-counter substance that adolescents are abusing. The list also includes diet pills, sleep aids, and motion sickness medication. Certain teenagers use excessive quantity of diet pills in an attempt to lose weight quickly; others take them to get high. Diet pills are not meant for youth as they contain potentially hazardous ingredients. Even herbal diet pills can be hazardous as they are not well controlled by the FDA (Diet Pills).

    Motion sickness pills like Dramamine are being used by teens; taken in large quantities (one entire package or more), Dramamine can cause hallucinations. Sleep aids like Tylenol PM, Excedrin PM, and Sominex can cause important drowsiness when abused. Extreme drowsiness can be an issue and it can cause Narcolepsy, which is characterized by short sleep episodes and sudden and abrupt weakness in the arms and legs. Sleep aids can also exert a stimulant effect that affects the adolescent’s regular sleep pattern.

    Over the counter substances can be very dangerous resulting in overdose, and even death. Parents should be aware of the hazards and to any possible abuse of these potentially hazardous over-the-counter medications.

Cold and Cough Medicines (DXM):

Numerous over-the-counter cough and cold medicines contain the ingredient dextromatorphan (also called DXM).  If taken in wide amounts, these over-the-counter medicines can cause hallucinations, loss of motor control, and “out-of-body” (or disassociative) sensations.             

Street names:
Triple C, candy, DM, drex, red devils, robo, rojo, skittles, tussin, velvet, vitamin D

How they are used:  Cough and cold medicines, which are available in tablets, capsules, gel caps, lozenges and syrups, are swallowed.  DXM is frequently extracted from cough and cold medicines, put into powder form and snorted.

Effects and dangers: 
*Small quantities help suppress coughing, but larger amounts can cause fever, confusion, impaired judgment, blurred vision, dizziness, paranoia, excessive sweating, slurred speech, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, headache, lethargy, numbness of fingers and toes, redness of face, dry and itchy skin, loss of consciousness, seizures, brain damage, and even death.  Occasionally, users mistakenly take cough syrups that contain other medications additionally to Dextromethorphan.  Elevated quantities of these other meds can cause serious injury or fatality.

How addictive? 

Individuals who use cough and cold medicines and DXM frequently to get high can become psychologically dependent upon them.

 

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