Health

Teens Using Cough Medicines To Get High

BOSTON (WBZ) ― Robitussin, NyQuil and Coricidin might be popular cough remedies for most of us, but for many young people, these over-the-counter products are a legal way to get high.

A recent federal survey estimated that three million kids have abused them. A quick visit to YouTube.com reveals disturbing images of young people showing the world what happens when they ingest large quantities of cough medicine.

They are disoriented and hallucinating because of a key ingredient, dextromethorphan, or DXM. In normal amounts, it acts as a cough suppressant.

A young man, who didn't want to be identified, started abusing DXM when he was just 13-years old. "It was just a whole new experience for me and I just enjoyed the feeling it gave me. I enjoyed what I saw. I saw vivid colors. My thoughts were a lot different. I was a lot happier."

He added that cough medicine abuse is a very big deal with young people today, and that for many, it is the first substance they abuse.

Middlesex County prosecutor Gerry Leone is seeing a spike in these types of cases. He said they can be hard to track because no illegal substances are involved, however. That's why it's an easy way to get high for younger kids. "It's not illegal to use an over-the-counter drug."

Leone further explained that this abuse is becoming more popular in the middle schools. "We are seeing a lot of the challenging issues we dealt with in the 90s in the high schools in the middle schools."

Derrick is another young man in rehab. He started taking Coricdin pills when he was 16. For him, it was just the start. "I feel like Coricidin definitely had a big impact on my use of harder substances. It was definitely a gateway drug for me. Before even alcohol, it was the first controlled substance I ever used."

That can be a common story. As Leone explained, "That's the other troubling trend… the usage of the cough suppressants and other over-the-counter drugs with alcohol and other drugs and that coupling can be extremely explosive and volatile, because you can have either poisoning or death."

The first young man in recovery now has a message for other young kids. He said DXM "turns your mind into mush. It isn't good for you. It is a terrible habit. It will lead you to other things, and it can kill you."

When it comes to selling these products, District Attorney Leone would like to see two changes.

To start with, he said that perhaps only adults should be able to buy theses products. Secondly, and more importantly, he believes these cold medications should be put behind the counter because kids usually steal them anyway.

He also added that parents need to be just as concerned about their kids abusing a legal product like these, as they would if they were abusing an illegal substance.

To learn more about DXM, click on the links below: 

www.theantidrug.com
www.phoenixhouse.org

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

---