Cough and cold medicine abused more than speed…

This is rarely a medicine people think of when it comes to drug abuse.  However, the active ingredient, DM aka dextromethorphan, can cause symptoms of euphoria.  It appears this drug is highly abused  by Whites when compared to minorities. I imagine in the future, this medicine may also find itself behind closed cabinets as was sudafed. 

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WASHINGTON - About 3.1 million people between the ages of 12-25 have used cough and cold medicine to get high, the government reported Wednesday.

The agency’s 2006 survey on drug abuse and health found that more than 5 percent of teenagers and young adults had misused cough and cold medicines and indicated that these people also had experimented frequently with illicit drugs.

Nearly 82 percent also had used marijuana. Slightly less than half also used inhalants or hallucinogens, such as LSD or Ecstasy, the agency said.

The cough suppressant DXM is found in more than 140 cough and cold medications available without a prescription. When taken in large amounts, DXM can cause disorientation, blurred vision, slurred speech and vomiting.

Among all persons aged 12 to 25, the rate of past year misuse among whites was 2.1 percent, which was three times higher than the level for blacks, 0.6 percent, and also significantly higher than the level for Hispanics, 1.4 percent.

“While increasing attention has been paid to the public health risk of prescription drug abuse, we also need to be aware of the growing dangers of misuse of over-the-counter cough and cold medications, especially among young people,” said Terry Cline, the agency’s administrator.

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On the Net: http://www.samhsa.gov