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07-29-2005, 01:11 PM
Drug store stops selling cough syrup
Knoxville (WVLT) - The Governor recently placed restrictions on non-prescription drugs with the ingredient pseudoephedrine because of abuse by meth makers. Now, another over-the-counter medicine is facing voluntary restrictions because of abuse by teenagers.
A national drugstore chain, which operates here in East Tennessee, is restricting sales of some cough medicine products.
Volunteer TV's Gary Loe reports the voluntary restrictions are now in place because this substance abuse can be deadly.
Teenagers getting a sometimes deadly, cheap high from non-prescription cough medicines are forcing Walgreens Drugstores to restrict sales of several cough medicine products.
Local independent drugstore owners are not yet restricting cough suppressants like Robitussin, but Walgreens recently banned the sale of the medicine to people younger than 18-years-old.
"These kids are drinking it with alcohol and it's causing a euphoric high,” pharmaceutical rep David Dunn of Knoxville says he's familiar with this substance abuse.
And a spokesperson for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association says teens are abusing cough suppressants with the ingredient "dextromethorphan," which is also known as "DXM" or "Dex." It's found in a large number of over the counter medicines like Robitussin and Coricidin.
Several recent teen deaths are blamed on DXM.
"It's very dangerous. These kids don't know how dangerous it is,” says Dunn. "This stops, can potentially stop your heart, and basically cause respiratory failure."
A Long's Drugstore pharmacist in West Knoxville says he's aware of the potential for "DXM" abuse, but has not yet been faced with the problem.
"We haven't had anybody come in to buy anything like that, and the fact that we're a small store like we are, we know just about everybody who comes in, so we're aware of their habits, and we're aware of their needs,” says Hank Peck, Long's Drugstore pharmacist.
A spokesperson for the consumer healthcare products association says the industry supports Walgreen's ban, and that these medications are very safe and effective when users follow directions.
Long's Drugstore pharmacist is not now considering restricting sales on the cough medicines.
Our phone calls to Walgreens corporate offices were not returned.
http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.as...43&nav=4QcHchdp (http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3654843&nav=4QcHchdp)
Knoxville (WVLT) - The Governor recently placed restrictions on non-prescription drugs with the ingredient pseudoephedrine because of abuse by meth makers. Now, another over-the-counter medicine is facing voluntary restrictions because of abuse by teenagers.
A national drugstore chain, which operates here in East Tennessee, is restricting sales of some cough medicine products.
Volunteer TV's Gary Loe reports the voluntary restrictions are now in place because this substance abuse can be deadly.
Teenagers getting a sometimes deadly, cheap high from non-prescription cough medicines are forcing Walgreens Drugstores to restrict sales of several cough medicine products.
Local independent drugstore owners are not yet restricting cough suppressants like Robitussin, but Walgreens recently banned the sale of the medicine to people younger than 18-years-old.
"These kids are drinking it with alcohol and it's causing a euphoric high,” pharmaceutical rep David Dunn of Knoxville says he's familiar with this substance abuse.
And a spokesperson for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association says teens are abusing cough suppressants with the ingredient "dextromethorphan," which is also known as "DXM" or "Dex." It's found in a large number of over the counter medicines like Robitussin and Coricidin.
Several recent teen deaths are blamed on DXM.
"It's very dangerous. These kids don't know how dangerous it is,” says Dunn. "This stops, can potentially stop your heart, and basically cause respiratory failure."
A Long's Drugstore pharmacist in West Knoxville says he's aware of the potential for "DXM" abuse, but has not yet been faced with the problem.
"We haven't had anybody come in to buy anything like that, and the fact that we're a small store like we are, we know just about everybody who comes in, so we're aware of their habits, and we're aware of their needs,” says Hank Peck, Long's Drugstore pharmacist.
A spokesperson for the consumer healthcare products association says the industry supports Walgreen's ban, and that these medications are very safe and effective when users follow directions.
Long's Drugstore pharmacist is not now considering restricting sales on the cough medicines.
Our phone calls to Walgreens corporate offices were not returned.
http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.as...43&nav=4QcHchdp (http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3654843&nav=4QcHchdp)