Preventing Teen Cough Medicine Abuse Preventing Teen Cough ...
double or blurred vision, slurred speech,
loss of physical coordination, abdominal pain,
Resources for
nausea and vomiting, rapid heart beat, drowsiness,
Y
More Information
ou already know about the dangers of
numbness of fingers and toes, and disorientation.
illegal street drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and
DXM abusers describe different “plateaus” ranging
Preventing
methamphetamine. But did you know that
from mild distortions of color and sound to visual
If you think your teen needs professional help, your
some teens are abusing legal products, like
hallucinations, “out-of-body” dissociative
doctor, hospital, or school nurse or counselor may
cough medicine, to get high?
sensations, and loss of motor control. Side effects
be able to help. Or you can call 1.800.662.HELP or
can be worsened if the dextromethorphan-
Teen
T
visit http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov, the
This guide will provide the answers to many
containing cough medicine being abused also
treatment locator hotline and web site of the
questions about cough medicine abuse, give
contains other ingredients to treat more than
U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
helpful tips for preventing this and other types
just coughs.
Administration.
of drug abuse, and offer other resources for
Cough
If you suspect a poisoning,
more information.
Cough medicine also is sometimes abused in
combination with other medications, alcohol, and
call your local poison control center at
illegal drugs, which can increase the dangerous
1.800.222.1222.
Medicine
side effects.
To learn more about drug prevention,
visit the Partnership for a Drug-Free America at
Q: What is cough medicine abuse?
What cough medicines contain
Q:
www.drugfree.org.
Abuse
Cough medicine abuse is taking extremely large
dextromethorphan, or DXM?
Abuse
For additional copies of this brochure,
doses of cough medicine to get high. The “high”
There are well over 100 OTC medicines that contain
visit www.chpa-info.org.
is caused by taking a large amount of
DXM, either as the only active ingredient or in
dextromethorphan, which is often abbreviated
combination with other active ingredients. Examples
DXM, a common active ingredient found in many
include Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough Medicine,
cough medications. This sort of abuse—whether it’s
Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold, Dimetapp DM,
[Your logo here]
called cough medicine abuse, or dextromethorphan
Mucinex DM tablets, PediaCare cough medicines,
or DXM abuse—can be dangerous.
For more information, contact
certain Robitussin cough products, Sudafed cough
Mimi Pappas
products, TheraFlu Cough products, Triaminic
Consumer Healthcare Products Association
Q: What is dextromethorphan?
cough products, Tylenol Cough and Tylenol Cold
mpappas@chpa-info.org
products, Vicks 44 Cough Relief products, and
Dextromethorphan is a safe and effective active
certain Vicks DayQuil and NyQuil LiquiCaps. There
ingredient found in many nonprescription cough
also are a number of store brands that contain
medicines, including syrups, tablets, and gel caps.
dextromethorphan, as well.
When used according to medicine label directions,
the ingredient dextromethorphan produces few
To know if a product contains DXM, look for
side effects and has a long history of safety. When
“dextromethorphan” in the active ingredient
abused in large amounts, it can produce a “high”
section of the OTC Drug Facts label.
feeling as well as a number of dangerous side
effects.
Q:
What are slang terms for
dextromethorphan?
Q: What are the effects of cough
medicine abuse?
Slang terms for dextromethorphan vary by product
A Parent’s Guide
and region. Adults should be familiar with the most
The effects of the abuse of cough medicines
common terms, which include Dex, DXM, Robo,
containing dextromethorphan vary with the amount
Skittles, Syrup, Triple-C, and Tussin. Terms for using
taken. Common effects include confusion, dizziness,
dextromethorphan include: Robo-ing, Robo-
tripping, and Skittling, among others.
JP5-06/250M
How common is cough medicine
Educate Yourself
Talk with Your Teen
alert. As a general rule, changes that are sudden or
Q: abuse?
— Educate yourself about cough medicine abuse
Kids who say they learn a lot about the risks of
extreme may be a warning sign.
Recent research indicates that the abuse of
and share this information with others who
drugs at home are up to 50 percent less likely to
DXM cough medicine is a greater problem than
are in contact with your teen, such as school
try drugs. Parents should talk often, listen regularly,
Signs your teen could be using drugs include:
previously thought. The research shows that
administrators, coaches, and counselors.
and communicate clearly that they do not want
• Change in friends
one out of 11 teens, or over two million teens,
their kids using drugs.
— Make sure you’re aware of the signs of cough
from across the country and of all backgrounds,
• Change in eating or sleeping patterns
medicine abuse and what to watch out for.
has abused cough medicine to get high. Often,
To talk credibly and effectively about the dangers of
• Changes in physical appearance and hygiene
these teens are finding information about cough
Communicate with Your Teens
drugs, parents need to know what those dangers
• Declining grades
medicine abuse on the Internet.
— Be clear that you do not want your teen taking
are. Teens will know when they’re being lied to, so
• Loss of interest in hobbies or favorite
medicine without your knowledge.
know the facts. To learn about the various drugs
activities
Where are teens finding information
teens can abuse—including cough medicine—and
Q:
— Teach your teens and younger children to
• Hostile and uncooperative attitude
about cough medicine abuse?
their risks, visit the Partnership for a Drug-Free
respect medicines. Medicines are important
America at www.drugfree.org.
• Unexplained disappearance of household
There is little in current teen culture—music,
tools in healthcare, but they must be used
money
movies, fashion, and entertainment—that
according to directions.
•
promotes or even mentions cough medicine
Know Where Your Teen Is
Visits to pro-drug web sites
— Make sure your teen understands that abusing
abuse. The one exception is the Internet.
• Empty drug or medicine containers or drug
cough medicine—just as abusing illegal
It’s important to know where your teen is and what
paraphernalia
drugs—can be very dangerous.
he or she is doing. Research has shown that children
without adult supervision are at significantly greater
A number of disreputable web sites promote
• Unusual chemical or medicinal smells on
risk of truancy from school, stress, receiving poor
the abuse of cough medicines containing
Safeguard Medications at Home and
your child or in his or her room
grades, risk-taking behavior, and substance abuse.
DXM. The information on these sites includes
Other Places
recommending how much to take, suggesting
— Know what medicines are in your home and
Helping a Teen Who Is Using Drugs
other drugs to combine with DXM, instructing
pay attention to quantities.
Introduce Your Teen to Adult Role Models
how to extract DXM from cough medicines,
The goal is to prevent a drug abuse problem in
promoting drug abuse in general, and even
— Keep all medications out of reach and out of
Find out what adult-supervised activities—like clubs
the first place. If you fear, however, that your teen
selling a raw, unfinished form of DXM for snorting.
easily accessible places like medicine cabinets.
or after-school sports—interest your teen and help
may have a problem, sit down with your child
You should be aware of what your teen is doing
get him or her involved. Connection with other
for an open discussion about alcohol and drug
— If your child needs medications during school
on the Internet, the web sites he or she visits, and
influential adults in teens’ lives also can help them
use. Openly voice your suspicions but avoid direct
hours, speak with school officials about
the amount of time he or she is logged on.
avoid the dangers of drugs, and reinforce the
accusations. Do not have this conversation when
medicine policies in the school.
benefits of healthy, drug-free living.
your teen is under the influence of alcohol or other
drugs, and make sure you sound calm and rational.
Ask your teen what has been going on in his or
What Parents Can Do to Prevent
More Tips for
Know Your Teen’s Friends
her life. Discuss ways to avoid using alcohol and
Cough Medicine Abuse
Raising Drug-Free Teens
Research from the Partnership for a Drug-Free
other drugs in the future. If you need help during
America reports that more than half of teens say
this conversation, ask another family member, your
they have close friends who get high regularly.
child’s guidance counselor, or a physician.
Parents can make a positive difference in their
Monitoring also is an effective way you can help
Parents need to know if these are the close friends
teens’ lives, and research shows that parents do
your teen stay drug-free, and an important thing
with which their teens are spending time.
Be firm and enforce whatever discipline you’ve laid
influence their teens’ decisions about whether
to do even if you don’t suspect your teen is using
out in the past for breaking house rules. You also
to take drugs or not. To prevent DXM abuse
drugs. Monitoring means asking young people
should discuss ways your teen can regain your lost
specifically, the best advice is to educate yourself,
questions about where they’re going, what they’re
Recognize Signs Your Teen Is Using Drugs
trust, such as calling in, spending evenings at home,
communicate with your teens, and safeguard
doing, and with whom they’re spending time, as
Parents don’t always recognize their kids might be
or improving grades.
your medications.
well as keeping tabs on their Internet use by using
using drugs. While it can be hard to know, there are
web browser tools and software designed to block
some general warning signs you can watch for. The
certain sites. Put some of these tips to use, and your
fact is, any teen could be using drugs, so stay
kids will benefit.
