Why Are Kids Abusing Cough and Cold Remedies?
Before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) replaced the narcotic codeine with dextromethorphan as an over-the-counter (OTC) cough suppressant in the 1970s, teens were simply guzzling down cough syrup for a quick buzz. Over the years, teens have made the unsettling discovery that they could get high by taking mass quantities of any of the multitude of over-the-counter medicines containing dextromethorphan (also called DXM). Found in tablets, capsules, gel caps, and lozenges, as well as syrups, dextromethorphan-containing products are labeled DM, cough, cough suppressant, or Tuss (or contain “tuss” in the title). Medicines containing dextromethorphan are easy to find, affordable for cash-strapped teens, and perfectly legal. Getting access to the dangerous drug is often as easy as walking into the local drugstore with a few dollars or raiding the family medicine cabinet. And because it’s found in over-the-counter medicines, many teens are naively assuming that DXM can’t be that dangero
