Cold Hard Facts: Teens Abusing Cold Medicine

Wintertime means the cold and flu season, but did you know it's cold medicine that's actually killing some of our kids?

I'm not talking about a recall on some messed-up medicine. I'm here to give parents the cold hard facts on an epidemic in the Wabash Valley that involves your kids.

What's the latest drug of choice for Wabash Valley teens?

Meth, pot, speed? Try cold pills.

At first it was the cool thing to do. Triple C's man they're awesome!

This Terre Haute teenager is a recovering drug addict. She doesn't want us to give you her name or show her face, but she did want to help us by talking candidly about a growing danger in our area.

Innocent looking enough, but cold pills are killing our kids. The next time you open the family medicine cabinet think about this. We as parents look at this box and simply see what the label says Coricidin Cough and Cold, but local teens look at this stuff as Triple C. Taken a sheet at a time. Triple C's act as a very strong hallucinogen. Some say as powerful at PCP. An old drug that's becoming a new emergency in the Wabash Valley, growing in epidemic proportions.

"8 out of every 10 kids I see as a clinician take or have tried Triple C," said Clayton Sparks, Addictions Counselor. "It's the dextromethorphan or dxm in coricidin that's the problem. A cough suppressant that when abused can cause out of body hallucinations."

"It just makes you feel like you're in slow motion. Sometimes it scares you at first. At first you don't think it hits you but then as soon as you stand up, you think everyone's in slow motion. It probably lasts about three hours," said recovering addict.

This young woman started taking Triple C's when she was 14. She says it was the cold pills that got her interested in harder stuff. A parent's nightmare.

"My friends started stealing them talking about getting really messed up off them and they're really cool. So all of a sudden I took them," said Recovering Addict.

So many kids are stealing the over the counter meds, almost all local pharmacies now keep Coricidin Cough and Cold behind the pharmacy counter. But even new restrictions aren't keeping parents from knowingly keeping them in the family pantry.

And our undercover teenager says don't be fooled, Triple C's are a triple threat. Practically all middle schools like every single kid has probably done Triple C's. It's out there and everybody knows about it.

The long term effects of abusing this drug can ultimately lead to depression and suicide.



WHAT PARENTS CAN DO TO PREVENT COLD MEDICINE ABUSE:

- Educate yourself about cold medicine abuse and share the information with others who are in contact with your teen, such as school administrators, coaches and counselors.

- Make sure you're aware of the signs of cold medicine abuse and what to watch out for.

- Communicate with your teen!

- Be clear that you don't want your teen taking medicine without your knowledge.

- Teach your teens and younger children to respect medicines. Medicines are an important tool in healthcare, but they must be used according to directions.

- Make sure your teen understands that abusing cold pills, just like abusing illegal drugs, can be very dangerous.

- Safeguard medications at home and other places.

- Know what medicines are in your home and pay attention to quantities.

- Keep all medications out of reach and out of easily accessible places like medicine cabinets.

Side effects of DXM abuse include: Confusion, impaired judgement, blurred vision, dizziness, paranoia, excessive sweating, slurred speech, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, headache, lethargy, consciousness, seizures, brain damage, and even death.

http://www.wthitv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7...8&nav=menu593_2

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[//.The_Unforgiven]

I agree. It's these damn kids and their CCC's.

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM "RESPONSIBLE"* DRUG USE?

None that I know of...

It's the dextromethorphan or dxm in coricidin that's the problem

Actually, douchebag, it's the antihistamine.

If more kids popped 'gellies and less C's... I'm SURE there would be a ten-fold decrease in adolescent deaths resulting from cough medicine abuse.

'nuff said.




*Responsible use constitutes medium doses in controlled settings, where appropriate measures are taken to avoid personal injury.

[Eloivore]

Originally posted by the_unforgiven@Nov 27 2007, 12:01 AM
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM "RESPONSIBLE"* DRUG USE?

None that I know of...

Maybe you haven't met enough people. Responsibility minimizes risks, but it doesn't eliminate them.

[Scynne]

Why don't you just stop posting these? They just make me depressed. On the other hand, I'm the one who reads EVERY ONE OF THEM! Nevertheless, you, Dr.Dave, are a bearer of bad news.

How odd, no mention of CPM. *dies of shock*

*dies again of sarcasm*

[Laie_Boy2]

Originally posted by the_unforgiven@Nov 27 2007, 12:01 AM
I agree. It's these damn kids and their CCC's.

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM "RESPONSIBLE"* DRUG USE?

None that I know of...

Actually, douchebag, it's the antihistamine.

If more kids popped 'gellies and less C's... I'm SURE there would be a ten-fold decrease in adolescent deaths resulting from cough medicine abuse.

'nuff said.




*Responsible use constitutes medium doses in controlled settings, where appropriate measures are taken to avoid personal injury.

Yeah I Agree
But Most of these kids who take it dont realize whats in them. They wouldn't want to take the time to figure out what ingredients are in them, and what they mean.