Cough and Cold Medicine Abuse

      The medicines are legal, but the way of consumption up to the level it can be call abuse is not.  This contains some ingredients that in over consumption categorize them as drug abuse. The common medicines that are abuse for such purpose are: Dextromethorphan (DXM) and Promethazine-codeine cough syrup.  Both produce euphoria, since it increases dopamine.  However, the first also cause dissociative effects and hallucination and the other relaxation.

     Again is not harmful when are taken as what it is supposed to. On the other hand, if is not consume as so it harms the brain just alike an illegal drug. They are consumed in occasion mixed with soda to add flavor. However, there are other worse mixture with alcohol and marijuana. Therefore, it increases the risk.

    I never heard of such drug abuse before. However, it is not surprising as every medicine there are instructions of how much to consume. I read it was used mostly by teenager. Probably because its more appellant as such age than other drugs.  Not to mention the accessibility to get a bottle of it in our home.

Reference:

Bronstein, P. Cheap Drug Complicates Conflict in Southern Thailand. gettyimages, Southern Thailand. Retrieved from http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/eNJzKrOK-as/Cheap+Drug+Complicates+Conflict+Southern+Thailand/_Le9Enoht77

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014, May). Cough and Cold Medicine Abuse. Retrieved April 2015, from NIDA: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/cough-cold-medicine-abuse