Cough Medicine

Did you know that one in 10 youth ages 12 through 17 has abused cough medicine to get high from its dextromethorphan ingredient, and one in 5 young adults has abused a prescription drug? Help raise awareness of the dangers of medicine abuse by participating in the CADCA 50 Challenge. By registering for the Challenge, you’re automatically entered in a drawing for a free iPad.

This week, California became the first state to prohibit the sale of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines containing the active ingredient dextromethorphan (DXM) to minors. The legislation, SB 514, authored by State Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), was signed into law Wednesday.

Did you know that one in 10 youth ages 12 through 17 has abused cough medicine to get high from its dextromethorphan ingredient, and one in 5 young adults has abused a prescription drug? Help raise awareness of the dangers of medicine abuse by participating in the CADCA 50 Challenge. By registering for the Challenge, you’re automatically entered in a drawing for a free iPad.

Did you know that one in 10 youth ages 12 through 17 has abused cough medicine to get high from its dextromethorphan ingredient, and one in 5 young adults has abused a prescription drug? Help raise awareness of the dangers of medicine abuse by participating in the CADCA 50 Challenge. By registering for the Challenge, you’re automatically entered in a drawing for a free iPad.

Did you know that one in 10 youth ages 12 through 17 has abused cough medicine to get high from its dextromethorphan ingredient, and one in 5 young adults has abused a prescription drug? Help raise awareness of the dangers of medicine abuse by participating in the CADCA 50 Challenge. By registering for the Challenge, you’re automatically entered in a drawing for a free iPad.

While there were slight decreases in the use of cocaine and methamphetamine among youth, teen marijuana use showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, according to the 2009 Monitoring the Future Survey, marijuana use among adolescents has increased gradually over the past two years after years of declining use; and past year rates of Vicodin and OxyContin abuse increased during the last 5 years among 10th graders and remained unchanged among 8th and 12th graders. The MTF Survey, which surveys youth in 8th, 10th and 12th graders, was released Monday by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the University of Michigan.

In response to the growing epidemic of prescription and over-the-counter medicine abuse, the U.S. Senate recently introduced a resolution designating October as National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month (NMAAM). CADCA, in partnership with the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), is sponsoring several town hall meetings about medicine abuse during the month of October.

Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) jumped out of the gate to begin the 110th Congress by circulating a Dear Colleague letter to all of his fellow Senators raising awareness on Dextromethorphan (DXM) abuse, a practice often referred to as "Robotripping". DXM is found in several cold and cough medicines and other over-the-counter medications, and is safe and effective when taken in the recommended dosage. However, it is a dangerous and potentially lethal substance when abused, a practice that appears to be on the rise.

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), one of CADCA´s key partners in the fight against cough medicine abuse, launched a new campaign this week that brings together five moms from across the country to spread the word to other parents that teen cough medicine abuse is a serious and growing trend.

Have you heard the term “skittling” or “Tussing?” Chances are, your teenage son or daughter has. Recent research shows that while parents are aware of the dangers of illicit street drugs, both prescription medicine and over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines are often overlooked as a potential threat. This, despite the fact that an estimated one in 10 people, age 12–17, or 2.4 million kids, have intentionally abused cough medicine to get high.