Facts on Cough Syrup Abuse

It sounds tame. How much damage can common cough syrup do? But it turns out that one in five teens have used a prescription drug to get high and, according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, one in 10 teens reports having abused OTC cough syrup medicines to get high, and 28 percent know someone who has tried it.



The ingredient the teens are seeking in OTC cough syrup medicines is dextromethorphan or DXM. When used according to label directions, DXM is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and is found in well over 100 brand-name and store-brand over-the-counter cough medicines. When abused in extreme amounts, DXM can be dangerous.



Categorized as a Disassociative Psychedelic Drug, users report several plateaus of experience, and the effects last for 6 hours. At levels of about 2 ounces of the drug, users say they experience distorted visual perceptions and mild stimulant effect. At higher levels, produce user-reported effects of a complete dissociation from the body. And there is growing evidence that DMX is addictive.



The leading makers of OTC cough medicine are fighting back. A new website, StopMedicineAbuse.org has been launched to build awareness about this type of substance abuse behavior, provide tips to prevent it from happening, and encourage parents to safeguard their medicine cabinets. Substance abuse can touch any family: the key to keeping teens drug-free is education and talking about the dangers of abuse. Experts say that teens who learn a lot about the dangers of drugs from their parents are half as likely to abuse drugs.