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As if parents didn't have enough to worry about, including teens drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and abusing prescription and traditional drugs (marijuana, ecstasy, heroin, methamphetamines, cocaine, etc.), they now have to be concerned about their kids abusing cold and cough medicines.
More and more, experts are reporting that teens are abusing over-the-counter cold medicines with dextromethorphan (DXM).
The FDA states that 'although DXM, when formulated properly and used in small amounts, can be safely used in cough suppressant medicines, abuse of the drug can cause death as well as other serious adverse events such as brain damage, seizure, loss of consciousness, and irregular heart beat.'
In fact, there have been five recent deaths of teenagers that may be associated with the abuse of DXM.
Although some teens simply overdose themselves on over-the-counter medicines with dextromethorphan, others are buying pure DXM in powdered form from dealers and on the internet.
Why do kids abuse DXM?
For the same reason that they take other drugs... In very large doses, DXM can cause kids to get high. The downside is that it can also cause confusion, slurred speech, blurred vision, drowsiness, rapid heart beat, loss of coordination, dizziness, nausea, hallucinations, brain damage, seizures, and death.
Are your kids abusing DXM?
We all like to think that it isn't our kids that are abusing drugs, but statistics show that these problems are much more common than parents like to admit. According to the Partnership Attitude Tracking Study from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, about 9 percent of teens admitted to abusing cough medicines to get high.
In addition to traditional signs that your child might be abusing drugs, such as doing poorly in school, or having major changes in their personality, physical appearance, or friends, you should suspect cough medicine abuse if:
- you notice cough and cold medicines disappearing from your house or if you find that your child is buying or saving cold medicines
- your child often takes cold and cough medicines
- you hear your child talking about DXM, DEX, Red Devils, Robo, Skittles, Tussin, or Vitamin D (some of the street names for DXM) or if you hear him and his friends talking about Dexing, Robotripping, Robodosing, or Skittling (street names for DXM abuse).
Helping a Child Who Is Abusing Drugs
In addition to a talk about drug use with your child, getting help from your Pediatrician or a mental health professional might be helpful.
If you don't feel comfortable bringing the subject of drug abuse up or are afraid that you might sound like you are accusing your child without enough proof, you might start by saying that you know that some kids use drugs and you are wondering if any of your child's friends use drugs. You can then ask if they have ever tried any drugs themselves.
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America also advises that you can prevent drug abuse by:
- Talking with your Teen, especially talking about the risks of using drugs.
- Knowing Where Your Teen Is
- Getting Your Teen Involved in Activities
- Knowing Your Teen's Friends
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