HOPE — Cough Medicine Abuse
Robotripping…
YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THE DANGERS OF ILLEGAL STREET DRUGS LIKE MARIJUANA, COCAINE AND METHANMPHETAMINE, BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT MANY TEENS ABUSING LEGAL PRODUCTS LIKE COUGH AND COLD MEDICINE TO GET HIGH? HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE PHRASE "ROBOTRIPPING". THIS TERM REFERS TO THE HIGH THAT TEENS ARE GETTING WHEN USING ROBITUSSUN.
What is cough medicine abuse?
Cough medicine abuse is taking extremely large doses of cough medicine to get high. The "high" is caused by taking a large amount of dextromethorphan, which is often abbreviated DXM, a common active ingredient found in many cough medications. This sort of abuse—whether it's called cough medicine abuse, or dextromethorphan or DXM abuse—can be dangerous. What is dextromethorphan? Dextromethorphan is a safe and effective active ingredient found in many nonprescription cough medicines, including syrups, tablets, and gel caps. When used according to medicine label directions, the ingredient dextromethorphan produces few side effects and has a long history of safety. When abused in large amounts, it can produce a "high" feeling as well as a number of dangerous side effects.
What are the effects of cough medicine abuse?
The effects of the abuse of cough medicines containing dextromethorphan vary with the amount taken. Common effects include confusion, dizziness, loss of physical coordination, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, rapid heart beat, drowsiness, numbness of fingers and toes, and disorientation. DXM abusers describe different "plateaus" ranging from mild distortions of color and sound to visual hallucinations, "out-of-body" dissociative sensations, and loss of motor control. Side effects can be worsened if the dextromethorphan- containing cough medicine being abused also contains other ingredients to treat more than just coughs. Cough medicine also is sometimes abused in combination with other medications, alcohol, and illegal drugs, which can increase the dangerous side effects.
What cough medicines contain dextromethorphan, or DXM?
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 Medicine, 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. To know if a product contains DXM, look for "dextromethorphan" in the active ingredient section of the OTC Drug Facts label. What are slang terms for dextromethorphan? Slang terms for dextromethorphan vary by product and region. Adults should be familiar with the most common terms, which include Dex, DXM, Robo, Skittles, Syrup, Triple-C, and Tussin. Terms for using dextromethorphan include: Robo-ing, Robo- tripping, and Skittling, among others.
How common is cough medicine abuse?
Recent research indicates that the abuse of DXM cough medicine is a greater problem than previously thought. The research shows that one out of 11 teens, or over two million teens, from across the country and of all backgrounds, has abused cough medicine to get high. Often, these teens are finding information about cough medicine abuse on the Internet.
Where are teens finding information about cough medicine abuse?
There is little in current teen culture—music, movies, fashion, and entertainment—that promotes or even mentions cough medicine abuse. The one exception is the Internet. A number of disreputable web sites promote the abuse of cough medicines containing DXM. The information on these sites includes recommending how much to take, suggesting other drugs to combine with DXM, instructing how to extract DXM from cough medicines, promoting drug abuse in general, and even selling a raw, unfinished form of DXM for snorting. You should be aware of what your teen is doing on the Internet, the web sites he or she visits, and the amount of time he or she is logged on.
What Parents Can Do to Prevent Cough Medicine Abuse
Parents can make a positive difference in their teens' lives, and research shows that parents do influence their teens' decisions about whether to take drugs or not. To prevent DXM abuse specifically, the best advice is to educate yourself, communicate with your teens, and safeguard your medications.
Educate Yourself
- Educate yourself about cough medicine abuse and share this information with others who are in contact with your teen, such as school administrators, coaches, and counselors.
- Make sure you're aware of the signs of cough medicine abuse and what to watch out for. Communicate with Your Teens
- Be clear that you do not want your teen taking medicine without your knowledge.
- Teach your teens and younger children to respect medicines. Medicines are important tools in healthcare, but they must be used according to directions.
- Make sure your teen understands that abusing cough medicine—just as abusing illegal drugs—can be very dangerous. Safeguard Medications at Home and Other Places
- Know what medicines are in your home and pay attention to quantities.
- Keep all medications out of reach and out of easily accessible places like medicine cabinets.
- If your child needs medications during school hours, speak with school officials about medicine policies in the school.
Source: Consumer Healthcare Products Association. Preventing Teen Cough Medicine Abuse. 20 Jan. 2010 http://www.drugfree.org/Files/Preventing_Teen_Cough_Medicine_Abuse/.
