We have talked at length about abuse of such illegal substances as cocaine and heroin, as well as of prescription drugs, in previous posts. Most parents are careful and worried about these substances and the potential dangers that they bring. There is one other substance that parents should watch out for, however, and it may be sitting exposed in your medicine cabinet.
A feature on CNN warns parents about “robo-tripping” among teenagers – and points out that, no, this is not a sort of dance move. “Robo-tripping” is a slang used to refer to getting high using cough medicine. Abusers take to ingesting large doses of dextromethorphan to achieve that “high”. Dextromethorphan is an ingredient found in over-the-counter cough suppressants.
The website of Partnership for a Drug-Free America features the story of a teenager named Shannon, who shared: “I was looking for something that was easy to find, easy to do…even though I know…that this is not good, that this is wrong.” Dr. Michael Entrup, an anesthesiologist at Rhode Island Hospital, was quoted in the feature: “These drugs are very often sitting in the medicine cabinet at home. What parent would think, ‘My kid is abusing cough syrup‘?”
The American Society for Anesthesiologists shared tips on how to detect dextromethorphan abuse among kids. Parents are encouraged to watch out for the unusual smell of medicine in a child’s breath; the appearance of empty cough medicine bottles – or the disappearance of these medicines altogether; a sudden change in physical appearance, attitude and sleeping habits; and visits made by one’s child to pro-drug websites.
Tags: cough syrup abuse, cough syrup addiction, Robo-Tripping
