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02-27-2004, 08:55 PM
Thousands of teenagers are abusing Robitussin in order to get high and hundreds have almost died from overdoses.
“If I didn't have a way to get alcohol or anything, it was there, it was free, easy to get to pretty much,” said Kelli, who was 15 years old when she heard from other kids about it.
“The first time I had a bottle, then after that I had two bottles each time,” she said. “It’s like an acid trip except it’s without cough medicine.”
It’s called “Robo-tripping” or “Dexing,” a nickname derived from the cough suppressant drug – Dextromethorphan (DXM) – that gives the high.
DXM is found in most cough medicines and most other over-the-counter cough medicines. It is safe in prescribed doses, but some kids are taking 10, 20, even 30 times the recommended dose.
“They will drink at least one bottle and maybe more. If it’s in a pill form, which is Coricidin or as the kids [call it] ‘Skittles,’ they’ll be taking 15 or 20 or 25 or more in order to get high,” said Dr. Robert Margolis, a psychologist who specializes in adolescent addiction.
The hallucinogenic high lasts for hours. “I could feel my heart pounding. I felt like my heart was about to explode,” Kelli said.
“You're taking so much of this drug that you're literally comprising your system and we've literally had kids whose hearts have stopped as a result of this,” Margolis said.
It is a growing and deadly fad and some are “robo-tripping” even in school.
”Kids literally can be in school in class sitting in the back of class and the teacher has no idea they're tripping,” Margolis said.
DXM abuse is being described as a suburban phenomenon. “It’s an upper middle class drugs that White kids are doing,” Margolis said.
“For me, it was easy to get to. It wasn't something that my parents would catch. They wouldn't think I’d be drinking a bottle of Robotussin to get high,” Kellisaid.
Kelli eventually overdosed and woke up in a treatment center. She has been clean for three years now.
“Parents need to know this. Kids need to know this. This is a drug that when you overdose it is fatal,” Margolis said.
Margolis said parents need to children honestly and said he was not against parents searching their children’s room for signs of drug abuse if they have suspicions.
http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.a...x?storyid=43478 (http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=43478)
“If I didn't have a way to get alcohol or anything, it was there, it was free, easy to get to pretty much,” said Kelli, who was 15 years old when she heard from other kids about it.
“The first time I had a bottle, then after that I had two bottles each time,” she said. “It’s like an acid trip except it’s without cough medicine.”
It’s called “Robo-tripping” or “Dexing,” a nickname derived from the cough suppressant drug – Dextromethorphan (DXM) – that gives the high.
DXM is found in most cough medicines and most other over-the-counter cough medicines. It is safe in prescribed doses, but some kids are taking 10, 20, even 30 times the recommended dose.
“They will drink at least one bottle and maybe more. If it’s in a pill form, which is Coricidin or as the kids [call it] ‘Skittles,’ they’ll be taking 15 or 20 or 25 or more in order to get high,” said Dr. Robert Margolis, a psychologist who specializes in adolescent addiction.
The hallucinogenic high lasts for hours. “I could feel my heart pounding. I felt like my heart was about to explode,” Kelli said.
“You're taking so much of this drug that you're literally comprising your system and we've literally had kids whose hearts have stopped as a result of this,” Margolis said.
It is a growing and deadly fad and some are “robo-tripping” even in school.
”Kids literally can be in school in class sitting in the back of class and the teacher has no idea they're tripping,” Margolis said.
DXM abuse is being described as a suburban phenomenon. “It’s an upper middle class drugs that White kids are doing,” Margolis said.
“For me, it was easy to get to. It wasn't something that my parents would catch. They wouldn't think I’d be drinking a bottle of Robotussin to get high,” Kellisaid.
Kelli eventually overdosed and woke up in a treatment center. She has been clean for three years now.
“Parents need to know this. Kids need to know this. This is a drug that when you overdose it is fatal,” Margolis said.
Margolis said parents need to children honestly and said he was not against parents searching their children’s room for signs of drug abuse if they have suspicions.
http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.a...x?storyid=43478 (http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=43478)