The Dextroverse - 'Robo-Tripping' Students Called

'Robo-Tripping' Students Called 'A Serious Local Issue'

Shawn J. Soper
Staff Writer

BERLIN - Teen drug abuse is hardly a new issue, but many parents might be surprised to find out
the latest drug of choice for many young people around the country, including Worcester County,
is right in their medicine cabinets or on the shelves of their favorite pharmacy.
Young people have been abusing over-the-counter drugs for decades, but the latest craze is
resulting all too often in dangerous, often-deadly consequences. Abuse of over-the-counter cough
and cold medicines, such as Robitussin and Coricidin, is on the upswing nationwide, and Worcester
County has not been immune.
Called "robo-tripping" or "dexing", the abuse of the over-the-counter drug produces effects similar
to an LSD experience. The culprit ingredient in the otherwise safe cough and cold medicines is
called dextromethorphan (DMX) and is commonly found in many over the counter drugs. Taken at
recommended dosages, DMX is a harmless additive with analgesic benefits, but in large doses, the
drug produces physical and emotional effects far beyond its intended purpose.
Young people are reportedly consuming up to 10 times the recommended dosage in a single sitting
in order to get the desired effects, which include hallucinations and out-of-body experiences, and
the results have often been deadly. For example, just last week a 20-year-old Kansas man was
convicted of first-degree murder after admitting stabbing the victim in the chest several times in a
room illuminated only by a strobe light after taking as many as 10-16 Coricidin tablets and similar
reports are coming in from all over the country.
Locally, there have been no reports of violent crime associated with the abuse of DMX, although it
is clearly becoming a problem. At least one young person has checked into the emergency room at
Atlantic General Hospital after abusing DMX in the last two months, according to hospital officials,
and the county health department is well aware of growing problem.
"This is becoming a serious local issue," said Worcester County health department addictions
specialist Doris Moxley. "What were hearing is kids are more likely to take Coricidin, or Triple-C, as
they call it, and surprisingly it's primarily the younger kids that are getting involved with it. We're
hearing more about it from the middle schools than the high schools."
One local youth who preferred to remain anonymous agreed younger children were more likely to
get involved with DMX than their older counterparts. "That's so eighth grade," she said.
Some local pharmacies are also aware of the problem and have taken steps to make it more
difficult for young people to access the readily available drugs. For example, the pharmacy at the
Wal-Mart on Route 50 has taken medications containing DMX off the shelves and put them
behind the counter.
"It concerns me that kids are abusing these over-the-counter medications, and we've taken steps to
make it more difficult for them to get their hands on them," said Wal-Mart pharmacist John
Spence. "We were hearing from parents, the health department, even school counselors, about the
problem and we've taken action to address it."
Spence said the problem is not a new one.
"We pulled it behind the counter about a year and a half ago because we had a problem with theft
and we couldn't keep it on the shelves," he said. "For us, pulling it behind the counter serves a
dual purpose. It keeps it from getting into the hands of kids for the wrong purposes, and it helps
protect our inventory."
School officials said this week the problem has not manifested itself on the campuses of the local
schools.
"It's not come to my attention," said Worcester Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jon Andes. "Students
are not allowed to have prescription or over-the-counter drugs in school. Any medications,
including over-the-counter drugs, are left with the school nurse, who administers them to the
students who need them."
More than 80 over-the-counter medications contain DMX, which produces psychedelic effects when
taken in large doses. DMX abuse is hard to track because the drugs containing it are legal for the
most part and most of the individuals abusing it are underage and often don't show up at
counseling and addiction agencies.
The emotional effects of DMX include mood lifts, euphoria, giggling and laughing, dissociation of
mind from body, and creative dreamlike experiences. The physical effects include pupil dilation,
visual and aural hallucinations, decreased sexual function, confusion and disorientation, skin
sensitivity and zombie-like "robo-walking" and uncoordination.
County health officials are urging parents to monitor their children and keep a close eye out for
the obvious signs of DMX abuse.
"This has the potential to become a big problem," said Moxley. "We have a wide variety of
treatment and counseling programs for young people with any drug abuse problems including this
one and we urge parents who need them to take advantage of them."

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