Charlotte alliance encounters paradoxes

Kids can come up with more ways to scramble their brains.

Here's one that's caught on lately: Triple C.

That's the slang term for Coricidin HBP Cough & Cold, an over-the-counter -- and perfectly legal -- medicine.

The problem is, abusers take it in doses far greater than recommended, which produces hallucinations similar to those induced by PCP.

Users also call the drug "skittles," partly because the red pills resemble the popular candy and partly because kids are popping the pills as if they're candy.

The subject arose Wednesday morning as about 40 community activists and specialists in drug and alcohol abuse sat around a table during the quarterly meeting of the Charlotte Alliance for a Safe & Drug Free Community.

They were talking about how to stop businesses from selling alcohol to underage drinkers. Someone mentioned that many stores had placed Triple C behind the counter when they realized the scope of abuse among teens. Maybe education is the answer.

It turns out to be a little more complicated than that. Store owners had less than humanitarian motives regarding Triple C. They hid the drug not because kids were abusing it but because kids were stealing it to abuse it.

Even publicizing the popularity of Triple C causes a problem. When television's "Dateline" aired a program about the drug, its use increased.

On the other hand, keeping quiet and hoping for the best may leave parents ignorant when they otherwise could have done something.

Such are the paradoxes of the war on drugs.

In general, the alliance advocates publicity and honest discussions. Its members seem to agree that looking the other way may have contributed to Charlotte County's ranking as the state's worst when it comes to teenage drug, cigarette and alcohol abuse.


Story Here: http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll.../411120429/1060

[Feord]

Even publicizing the popularity of Triple C causes a problem. When television's "Dateline" aired a program about the drug, its use increased.

interestingly enough the only reason that I ever figured out about dex was because I read about it my local paper in seventh grade. The media is your friend sometimes

[timothy]

lol, gee. they hear it's a legal powerful drug that's "like lsd"

what do they expect?

[Karmakaze]

The South Park episode is a swell represenatation of the potential of the 20/20 episode, etc. So many middle school kids are gonna be FUCKED up.