New drug craze hits Marion, AR Junior High School

Marion, AR -- It's called "popping skittles." The nickname comes from just how similar the harmless candy looks to Coricidin, an over the counter cold medication that is now the newest way to get high.

"It's basically kids getting over the counter drugs, taking an over abundance of them. Three, four, five, as much as 20 at a time," said Marion Detective Freddy Williams.

The effect is a feeling of euphoria. Similar to being drunk, but as a group of eight Marion Junior High School students found out when one of their friends ended up in the hospital, Coricidin in those doses can be dangerous. Some cases around the the country even end in death.

"It's just everywhere," said Detective Williams, "until someone over-doses or dies or gets sick from it, that's when it actually comes out into the open."

This is not a new phenomenon or isolated to Marion. It's just that police say "popping skittles" is not very well known. They're trying to fix that by warning parents to warn their children.

"Ueah it concerns me," said Marion mother Daisy Rosamond.

Rosamond is just hearing of the new craze. With children just about at that age, she does and will do her best to make sure they steer clear of any and all drug crazes.

"You never know what your kids are gonna do these days. I just hope my kids know better."

Police say they'll know better if parents know better. Now adding the very accessible and easy to get Coricidin to a growing list of drugs to avoid.

http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=7176240

[ferk]

Newest way to get high? There's way newer ways to get high than DXM.

[Nivra ha-Rishon]

Guess enough people there finally caught on.

[koala infestation... robots]

The nickname comes from just how similar the harmless candy looks to Coricidin, an over the counter cold medication that is now the newest way to get high.

They really do not look very similar at all to me.

[ferk]

Because's thats not CCC silly. It's ECC imp:

[Criptin]

Notice how they never explain that the deaths are coming from CPM rather than what the kids are "using to get high off of"