“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,” says SAMHSA administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D. “The scope and danger posed by these medications requires a broadscale public health campaign—a campaign involving everyone, including the medical community, industry, parents, and young people.”

Everything you need to know
The SAMHSA survey showed non-prescription cough medicine abuse has become more popular with 12- to 25-year-olds than LSD or methamphetamines. One reason for the surge is the Internet. Says one mother of a teen who abused DXM, “My daughter learned a lot about DXM on the Internet. There are many, many websites you can go on and they’ll tell you everything and anything you need to know about taking this drug—how to take it, how much to take.”

To deal with this growing problem, Senator Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, has introduced the Dextromethorphan Abuse Reduction Act in the U.S. Senate. If passed, this legislation would ban the bulk sale of the active ingredient in the drug and prohibit the sale of dextromethorphan to minors—a move many pharmacy chains have already instituted.

Raising awareness
“It’s more than ‘Just Say No.’ The answer to the problem of dextromethorphan abuse is not to simply lock up the medicine cabinet,” Biden says. “There is also a real need to raise awareness in our communities—among parents, teens, teachers, counselors, and others— about the dangers of DXM abuse so that parents know that their kids may be doing this. This legislation will attack this problem from all sides—education, enforcement, and restricted access— and is the right move to protect our kids,” he adds.

To help shed light on dextromethorphan abuse, The Partnership for a Drug-Free America has launched a new nationwide movement called “Time To Talk.” Partnership President Steve Pasierb says, “We want to help [people] take action to protect their families with these three words: Educate, communicate, and safeguard. Educate yourself about the medications kids are abusing. Communicate with your kids and dispel the notion—for yourself as well as for your kids—that these medicines can be safely abused. And safeguard your medications by learning which ones can be abused, limit access to them, and keep track of the quantities you have in your home. Make sure your friends do the same.”

For more information about dextromethorphan abuse, visit www.drugfree.org or www.dxmstories.com.