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Parents: Learn about teen medicine abuse

Information for Parents

It’s a fact that each generation of kids looks for new ways to get high. Recent trends indicate they are turning to prescription or OTC medicines which are seen by young people as less dangerous than illicit and illegal drugs. OTC cough and cold medicines containing dextromethorphan (DXM) are an example. In all probability, this form of drug abuse hasn’t been on your radar screen. You’re not alone.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), in partnership with the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), less than one-third (30 percent) of coalitions believe that parents are aware of cough medicine abuse, and over half (55 percent) do not think parents are having conversations about this form of abuse with their kids. Yet another study indicates that only 47 percent of teens believe that abusing cough medicine to get high is risky, which means that over half believe it is not.

Our goal is to give you an insider’s look at this drug abuse problem. We’ll help you understand the facts and know the signs of abuse so that you can take proactive steps to prevent and stop it. Here’s what you’ll learn about:

The Problem
Decoding Cough Medicine Abuse “Language”
Methods of Abuse
The “Highs” and “Lows” of Cough Medicine Abuse
Cough Medicine on the Internet
The Warning Signs of Cough Medicine Abuse
Things You Can Do

At-a-Glance

While over-the-counter (OTC) medicines provide millions with relief from cold and cough symptoms, the potential for abuse among youth demands our immediate attention.
5% of teens have abused OTC medicines to get high in the past year.
There are over 100 OTC cough medicines that contain DXM, either as the only active ingredient or in combination with other ingredients. These medicines can be easily obtained from home medicine cabinets, a friend’s or neighbor’s house, in retail stores, and on the Internet.
When these remedies are taken in large amounts, users can experience an ecstasy-like high along with extremely dangerous side effects.
Be on the look out for empty cough medicine bottles or packages in backpacks, garbage cans, and bedrooms; disappearing cough and cold medicines from family medicine cabinets; declining grades, change in friends, appearance, eating and sleeping habits; and unusual chemical or medicinal smells on your child or in his/her room.
Educate yourself. Learn more about this issue and the recent trends of medicine abuse in general. Look on the Internet and find out what sites your kids are visiting.
Safeguard your medicine cabinet—know what’s there, keep track of your medicines, and discard OTC and prescription medications that you don’t need.
Talk to your child—kids who learn a lot about the risks of drug abuse from their parents are half as likely as their peers to try or use drugs.

Some DXM Web Sites to Watch for:

The Problem

Here’s the latest dose of reality: Data collected in 2009 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse for its Monitoring the Future study estimate the intentional abuse of cough medicine among eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders is 3.8 percent, 6 percent, and 5.9 percent, respectively.

There are well over 100 OTC medicines that contain DXM, either as the only active ingredient or in combination with other active ingredients. Examples include Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough Formula, Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold, Dimetapp® DM, Mucinex® DM tablets, PediaCare cough medicines, certain Robitussin® cough products, Sudafed cough products, TheraFlu Cough products, Triaminic cough products, Tylenol Cough and Tylenol Cold products, Vicks 44 Cough Relief products, and certain Vicks DayQuil and NyQuil LiquiCaps.. There also are a number of store brands that contain dextromethorphan, as well.

Decoding Cough Medicine Abuse “Language”

Kids have code names for OTC cough medicines, and it’s important for you to know what they are. Among them are Dex, DXM, Skittles, Syrup, and Tussin. Another is Triple-C or CCC. Popular expressions for abusing OTC cough medicine are Robo-tripping, Dex-ing, and Skittling. Users are sometimes called syrup heads or robotards.

Methods of Abuse

There’s no doubt about it, cough medicine abuse is serious. Some teens have repoted taking large amounts of pills or cough syrup, sometimes as much as 25–50 times beyond the recommended doses. In fact, some kids consume up to 80 pills per day. Users sometimes prefer pills over certain syrups because tablets are easier to conceal and consume. Alternately, others prefer the cough syrup, sometimes mixing it with sodas or even alcohol. They call this Robo-fizzing. An equally dangerous option is that they consume the raw, unfinished DXM ingredient which can be purchased over the Internet.

One of the most worrisome party activities kids participate in is called “pharming.” With their friends, they amass pills—including DXM-containing medicines—they’ve collected from home or elsewhere. Often in one sitting, they randomly take handfuls of pills, not caring what they are ingesting, and oblivious to the consequences of taking large amounts of medication or the potential danger of combining one drug with another. Of major concern is combining DXM-containing medicines with non-drowsy antihistamines, SSRI anti-depressants, and MAOI inhibitors. Combining DXM with these drugs is extremely dangerous and can send young people to the emergency room.

The “Highs” and “Lows” of Cough Medicine Abuse

DXM abusers say that a cough medicine high is similar to an ecstasy-like high. They may experience mild distortions of color and sound, strong visual hallucinations, “out-of-body” sensations, confusion, slurred speech, and the loss of motor control. Other serious side effects can include:

Delusions
Panic attacks
Memory problems
Blurred vision
Stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting
High blood pressure and rapid heartbeat
Numbness of fingers and toes
Drowsiness and dizziness
Fever and headaches
Rashes and itchy skin
Loss of consciousness

The effects can be worsened if the DXM-containing cough medicine being abused also contains other ingredients to treat more than just coughs, and, as described above, if used in combination with other medications, or taken with alcohol and illegal drugs.

Cough Medicine on the Internet

Hundreds of web sites and online communities promote the abuse of DXM-containing products. Some of these sites provide guides on how to achieve a high based on a user’s height and weight, how to combine DXM-containing medicines with other drugs, and what effects are to be expected at specific dosage levels. Some web sites serve as dangerous online drug dealers. The frightening reality is that kids can log-on to these sites, purchase large amounts of pure DXM with only a credit card or PayPal and shipping address, and wait for packages to arrive at their door step.

Web sites promoting DXM abuse information are not the only online sources providing dangerous content to kids. Social networking sites such as MySpace, YouTube, LiveJournal, and Facebook are filled with detailed instructions, user conversations, and videos of DXM abuse. Users blog and post videos about specific plans to take DXM, how and when they will take it, and even recounts of the abuse itself. Through these outlets, users actively compare notes, exchange approaches, and promote abuse.