Hollywood, MD – Recently, there has been a steady incline in “Purple Drank” incidents related to under 21 year old youth (and one confirmed death via the St. Mary’s County Sherriff’s Department) in the Tri-County area. Purple Drank refers to a concoction of prescription strength cough syrup (codeine and promethazine) and/ or over the counter dextromethorphan (such as: Nyquil, Theraflu, Vicks, Robitossin, among others) mixed with soft drinks, and a hard candy thrown in for flavor. The physiological effects of this mixture produce “euphoric side effects” which cause motor skill impairment, drowsiness and a dissociative feeling from all other parts of the body. (Note: other slang terms are sizzurp, lean, barre, purple jelly.) It also causes extreme levels of core body temperature to rise upwards of 107 degrees which causes permanent brain damage according to the Calvert County Health Department.
Dr. Larry Polsky, Head of the Calvert County Health Department, reports that approximately 900 calls, per year in the last two years, to Poison Control are related to this issue.
Dr. Polsky indicated that any drugs are dangerous, especially in large quantities, but the scary thing about Purple Drank is that children and young adults don’t seem to understand that the effects of this mixture can shut down one’s nervous system quite easily. Not taking any other prescription or legal drug into this argument, cough syrup is highly dangerous for youth because of the candy type flavor and the fact that most people aren’t aware that taking something over the counter can be fatal, if not taken as directed.
Purple Drank has been popularized in pop culture through music and celebrity deaths related to using it. Not only can a minor easily get their hands on any generic cough syrup, but it’s easier to hide in soda bottles at school to get high all day without the smell that alcohol would emit.
Taking 25 times the recommended dosage of a prescription cough syrup throughout the period of one single day puts a young adult at risk of overdose more likely than most comparable singular drugs as this mix tends to be a blend of narcotics and antihistamine.
For more information on this topic, please call 1-800-222-1222 American Association of Poison Control Centers or visit http://www.narconon.org/drug-abuse/purple-drank-effects.html, or www.co.cal.md.us/CAASA