Warning On Us Drugs Craze

[void]

A LETHAL drugs craze which has killed five children in the US could be copied by youngsters in the UK, parents were last night warned.

Scores of American schoolchildren have been risking their lives by deliberately overdosing on off-the-shelf cough medicines in search of a drugs high.

Children as young as 12 are gulping down the liquid in search of hallucinations, loss of co-ordination or "outer-body" experiences - known as dexing or robo-tripping.

The craze has led to at least five deaths in the US in recent months and dozens of youngsters have ended up dangerously ill in hospital, doctors said.

The medicines of choice are commonly available in supermarkets and do not need a prescription.

It is feared that the craze could catch on in the UK, as other drugs crazes have swept across the Atlantic.

While alcohol has been removed from most cough remedies and medicines containing codeine are available only on prescription, children have been abusing cough medicines containing the substance dextromethorphan, or DXM, which are available off the shelf.

DXM is known to produce hallucinations or loss of motor control if taken in large doses.

Websites telling youngsters exactly how much to take, according to their body weight, to get the "best" results now pepper the internet and there are signs young people in the US are mixing the substance with alcohol, ecstasy and other drugs.

Dr Charles Nozicka, medical director of paediatric emergency medicine at St Alexius Medical Centre, near Chicago, said, there was a lot of information about how to get high on DXM on the internet and he was seeing three or four cases of overdoses a week.

He said, "What we see in the emergency department is probably the tip of the iceberg."

Children abusing the medicines will show signs of sweating, high body temperature, flaky skin, or even an irregular heartbeat. An overdose can cause seizures, comas and death.


http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/02...-name_page.html

[EvS]

5 children? Did they just pull that number out of their ass?

[HeadOnAStick]

That is the most fucking rediculous thing I've ever read.

[C20H25N3O]

with the wealth of incorrect news storys being put out lately has anyone taken the time to email the editors and atleast let them know that they are falsely reporting facts or whatever...

[cindowsxp]

well then, someone like walkaway *cough* should step forward, and tell them what they are doing wrong. someone educated tho. Then go onto the Orielly thing and tell that guy off, cause he is an idiot most times. Tho sometimes I have to say I agree with him. very rare tho.

I did e-mail the editor and informed him that the story was so inaccurate it bordered on yellow journalism, LOL.
I explained that most of the sites were harm reduction sites & if he wanted correct info for any other DXM related articles to contact me, between Cliff, Void, Væ§ølis, Nitin & myself I think we could disspell much of the BS, however I doubt they are interested in the real facts since the BS stories create more readership.

Why does every article complain that there are sites that tell kids exactly how much cough medicine they need to take to get the effect? Would they rather the kids not know how much to take, and drink like 8 bottles and die?

This was the e-mail I sent the editor:

Your article on OTC abuse is full of inaccuracies, it borders on yellow journalism.
Most of the web sites are "harm reduction" sites, to help keep kids from ODing on something the know little about.
The deaths are primarily caused by Coricidin Cough & Cold (CCC's) which has a anti-histamine, (chloropheniramine maleate)
which in high doses causes psychosis, high heart rate & is responsible for 99% of the OTC drug related deaths, which actually number 7 for CCC's last year & 3 that were DXM only.
Like most media coverage, you halfass research your story and print the so called findings to fan the flames of hysteria.
I am 43 years old, far from being a teenager, and have found that DXM can be quite a pleasant experience if you know what you are doing, I am one of the "moderators" of a harm reduction site, I try to help the kids be responsible about what they are doing, rather than just letting them blindly do something with absolutely no knowledge of the consequences of improper use. If you would like a better source for you DXM related articles in the future please feel free to contact me.

[cindowsxp]

YAY, see, now thats what I'm talking about.