EvS
12-30-2003, 06:26 PM
Warning: Teens Overdosing On Cough Medicine
'Robotripping' Is Taking 12 To 24 Times Normal Dose Of Robitussin
POSTED: 11:58 a.m. EST December 30, 2003
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Emergency rooms across the country are reporting teenagers abusing cough medicine.
USA Today reported that teenagers nationwide are showing up in emergency rooms for overdosing on Robitussin.
"It's a really safe medicine; however, if you take it in large doses it can kind of give you a buzz. So that's what adolescents do," said Dr. Ken Cheyne of Blank Children's Hospital told television station KCCI.
The cough medicine Robitussin contains Dextromethorphan, or DXM, which is a cough suppressant. In large doses it acts as a hallucinogenic.
"Typically when they're abusing it they're taking 12 to 24 times the normal dose," said pharmacist Marty Dunn.
Teenagers call DXM abuse "Robotripping" or "Dexing." Just like any drug abuse, it can badly hurt someone, or even kill them.
"The hard part is that most people who take overdoses of this medicine never end up in the hospital. So when people end up in the ER, that's just the tip of the iceberg," said Cheyne.
There are no restrictions on DXM sales in Iowa, for instance, and it is widely available over the counter.
http://www.newsnet5.com/family/2732541/detail.html
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'Robotripping' Is Taking 12 To 24 Times Normal Dose Of Robitussin
POSTED: 11:58 a.m. EST December 30, 2003
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Emergency rooms across the country are reporting teenagers abusing cough medicine.
USA Today reported that teenagers nationwide are showing up in emergency rooms for overdosing on Robitussin.
"It's a really safe medicine; however, if you take it in large doses it can kind of give you a buzz. So that's what adolescents do," said Dr. Ken Cheyne of Blank Children's Hospital told television station KCCI.
The cough medicine Robitussin contains Dextromethorphan, or DXM, which is a cough suppressant. In large doses it acts as a hallucinogenic.
"Typically when they're abusing it they're taking 12 to 24 times the normal dose," said pharmacist Marty Dunn.
Teenagers call DXM abuse "Robotripping" or "Dexing." Just like any drug abuse, it can badly hurt someone, or even kill them.
"The hard part is that most people who take overdoses of this medicine never end up in the hospital. So when people end up in the ER, that's just the tip of the iceberg," said Cheyne.
There are no restrictions on DXM sales in Iowa, for instance, and it is widely available over the counter.
http://www.newsnet5.com/family/2732541/detail.html
__________________________________________________
Link via http://www.fark.com, comments thread here:
http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.p...l?IDLink=773368 (http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=773368)