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04-30-2005, 06:22 PM
Deadly Drug Can Be Found In Most Family Medicine Cabinets
Richard Thompson
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News South Sound Bureau Chief
POSTED: 3:39 pm PDT April 29, 2005
UPDATED: 4:41 pm PDT April 29, 2005
Many parents are aware of the dangers of illegal drugs like methamphetamine and marijuana, but most don't know a drug potentially as dangerous might be as close as the family medicine cabinet.
Crystalyn Frank used to abuse dextromethorphan or DXM. It is the drug found in many over-the-counter cough medicines.
"I think it's really dangerous and I don't think that people realize that cause you can buy it at the grocery store," said Frank.
Taken in excess DXM triggers hallucinations and can become deadly.
"The last time I did it was just horrible. I got really really really sick and I thought I was going to die," said Frank.
And increasingly some DXM users do die.
On April 23, 17-year-old Ryan Morgan and 19-year-old Corey Carlson were found dead in Morgan's Bellingham area home. Investigators found what they call "significant quantities" of the dextromethorphan at the scene.
"We know it can cause death," said Steve Boyer, Kitsap County Sheriff.
In Lacey, Ft. Lewis soldier Jeremiah Blankenship was convicted for shooting at a number of cars with a shotgun, nearly killing one woman.
Police found boxes of Coricidin at his house, and he told them he had downed dozens of the pills and believed he was "just out hunting deer" when he went on his shooting rampage.
Last month in Silverdale, a man claiming he could feel absolutely no pain stabbed and critically injured his girlfriend, then stabbed himself to death.
Toxicology reports are still pending but police suspect they had abused DXM.
"I think there's a very strong correlation between DXM and this tragedy," said Boyer.
It is a growing problem.
A Department of Justice study shows in just a three-year period reported cases DXM abuse nearly doubled.
William Hurley is an ER doctor in Olympia and sees teens from all walks of life abusing DXM and says it can devastate their bodies.
"You may get seizures you may get severe high blood pressure, severe rapid pulse rate and very high temperature and you can end up dying from those," said Hurly.
Former user Crystalyn Frank claimed nobody ever questioned her when she went into the store to buy cold medicine containing DXM.
And now even more powerful and dangerous pure DXM is being sold over the Internet to anyone who can pay for it.
It is frightening for police, doctors, and the woman who survived using the drug. "Kids that are doing it now don't really realize it's really dangerous," said Frank.
Because DXM is not currently controlled in anyway police say tragically there is nothing they can do about the abuse until someone hurts themselves or someone else.
Experts agree the best defense for parents against this potentially dangerous drug is to realize that it is out there and kids are using it.
http://www.kirotv.com/news/4433294/detail.html
Richard Thompson
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News South Sound Bureau Chief
POSTED: 3:39 pm PDT April 29, 2005
UPDATED: 4:41 pm PDT April 29, 2005
Many parents are aware of the dangers of illegal drugs like methamphetamine and marijuana, but most don't know a drug potentially as dangerous might be as close as the family medicine cabinet.
Crystalyn Frank used to abuse dextromethorphan or DXM. It is the drug found in many over-the-counter cough medicines.
"I think it's really dangerous and I don't think that people realize that cause you can buy it at the grocery store," said Frank.
Taken in excess DXM triggers hallucinations and can become deadly.
"The last time I did it was just horrible. I got really really really sick and I thought I was going to die," said Frank.
And increasingly some DXM users do die.
On April 23, 17-year-old Ryan Morgan and 19-year-old Corey Carlson were found dead in Morgan's Bellingham area home. Investigators found what they call "significant quantities" of the dextromethorphan at the scene.
"We know it can cause death," said Steve Boyer, Kitsap County Sheriff.
In Lacey, Ft. Lewis soldier Jeremiah Blankenship was convicted for shooting at a number of cars with a shotgun, nearly killing one woman.
Police found boxes of Coricidin at his house, and he told them he had downed dozens of the pills and believed he was "just out hunting deer" when he went on his shooting rampage.
Last month in Silverdale, a man claiming he could feel absolutely no pain stabbed and critically injured his girlfriend, then stabbed himself to death.
Toxicology reports are still pending but police suspect they had abused DXM.
"I think there's a very strong correlation between DXM and this tragedy," said Boyer.
It is a growing problem.
A Department of Justice study shows in just a three-year period reported cases DXM abuse nearly doubled.
William Hurley is an ER doctor in Olympia and sees teens from all walks of life abusing DXM and says it can devastate their bodies.
"You may get seizures you may get severe high blood pressure, severe rapid pulse rate and very high temperature and you can end up dying from those," said Hurly.
Former user Crystalyn Frank claimed nobody ever questioned her when she went into the store to buy cold medicine containing DXM.
And now even more powerful and dangerous pure DXM is being sold over the Internet to anyone who can pay for it.
It is frightening for police, doctors, and the woman who survived using the drug. "Kids that are doing it now don't really realize it's really dangerous," said Frank.
Because DXM is not currently controlled in anyway police say tragically there is nothing they can do about the abuse until someone hurts themselves or someone else.
Experts agree the best defense for parents against this potentially dangerous drug is to realize that it is out there and kids are using it.
http://www.kirotv.com/news/4433294/detail.html