"The road was dark and winding, and I could feel the trip slowly starting
to take hold of me - I had to get home before it was too late. Suddenly, in
the revealing beams of my headlights, stood frozen a dark figure; in one
claw-like hand some sort of small animal, slumped lifeless into a ball
of fur... in the other, a long blade..."


THE DXM ZINE.
Issue 11.  June 2002.

A Symposium of Articles Pertaining to DXM Use
(c)2002 Jeffrey Sothen/gravol

Email at Zine@dextroverse.org.
Official Zine Web Site at dex.kenton.org/dxmzine.
* This site is currently under construction. Look for it soon!
Official Zine Web Site Mirror at http://www.third-plateau.org/dxmzine.
Edited by gravol, with article contributions by fellow DXMers.

DISCLAIMER: The authors of this zine do not condone the use of
dextromethorphan in any way. This text is simply used as an informative
guide to issues relating to dextromethorphan use and should be used
for entertainment purposes only. We are not responsible for any
actions taken by anyone reading this text.
---

CONTENTS

1  Announcements
2  From the Editor
3  The House of Hell and Other Articles Revisited, compiled by gravol
4  DXM in the Media, compiled by VoiD iMaGe; gravol
5  DXM in the Media - A Much Darker Side, by Robert F. Golaszewski
6  2012 - A DXM Odyssey - Part One, by Dr. Noel Huntley, Ph.D.; gravol
7  2012 - A DXM Odyssey - Part Two, by Dr. John Grey, Ph.D.; Jose Arguelles
8  2012 - A DXM Odyssey - Part Three, by gravol
9  New DXM Meditation Technique, by Vaesolis
10 On Death's Doorstep, by DrDXM
11 Simplified Agent Lemon Extraction, by Lucidity
12 Keeping DXM Users Down, by Kid
13 Ganzfeld State and Testing Your Own ESP with DXM, by gravol
14 The Church of the Brain Damage, by Reduced
15 The Cough Syrup Hypothesis, by Rhd. Blue Resonant Human, Ph.D.
16 More on the Nightmare of Coricidin, by MeLo YeLo
17 The Elixir that Glows in the Dark, by Robert F. Golaszewski
18 Product Spotlight - DexAlone, by gravol
19 The Mysterious Caller from Robitussin, by Anonymous
20 Is DXM Really a Psychedelic Narcotic?, by John E. Masters
21 An In-Depth Look at DXM's Hallucinatory Effects, by gravol
22 Groundbreaking Results with DXM Research, by Stephen Greene et al.
23 A Personal Slice of Terror, by MMX
24 DXM Poetry, by various authors
25 DXM Music and Movie Reviews, by various authors
26 Info on Ordering Pure DXM Powder, compiled by gravol
27 List of DXM in Non-Prescription Drugs, by Erowid; gravol
28 Credits/Zine Information


---

ANNOUNCEMENTS
THE DXM RESEARCH PROJECT AND OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
compiled by gravol

DXM Research Project:

  I am currently in the process of contacting via email and snail mail
any company that i can find that produces DXM-containing products-
including chemical resellers, and asking them if they would be interested
in funding my research into whether or not prolonged use of DXM /
dissociatives creates brain lesions. Dr. Olney's research was extensive
and commendable- ours will be definative and conclusive.
  Myself and a corp of volunteers (fellow dexers) would submit ourselves
as research subjects, and would undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI's)
and CAT scans while we continue our DXM use, if these companies are
willing to fund our research. I suppose i have to put together a full
proposal with costs and shit, but fortunately I know a little something
about the non-profit business, and have friends who can help me write
grants.
  I figure we can recruit volunteers from the Dextroverse, Third Plateau,
Erowid, Lycaeum and usenet, and if we are successful, we should all go down
in history as legends and heroes for finally solving the puzzle, wrapped in
a mystery, inside an enigma that is DXM.
  I will update you all on the project as it progresses. If you are
willing to volunteer and submit to brain scans, I guess sign up here.
Who knows, I may even be able to pull off enough funding to pay you guys
something- I will definately include that expendature in my budget
proposal.

                                                       Your bud,
                                                       -mj

[Editor's note: So far Vaesolis from the Dextroverse has been
able to raise $3800, and there will be a subsequent interview with Dr.
J.M. Olney on that site, also relating to this new research product.]



FROM THE EDITOR

Greetings,
  Many of you may wonder what has taken us so long to come out with a
new issue. Well, it's rather simple. Since I am the sole editor and
creator of this zine, things get done when I have the time to do them.
Many times I have asked others to step up to the plate and either help
out or take the Zine over for a couple of months, but nobody would do it.
  I have spent several months in rehab and jail for violating my
probation, that is why I have not had nor the time nor the resources to
continue publishing the Zine. Why was I in jail, you ask? I worked in
a pharmacy as a technician in 2000 and got into some unnecessary trouble.
You see, I should've just stuck with good ol' DXM. Illicit opiates can
get you into a lot of trouble. Luckily, that is now all behind me.
  And I am pleased to present to you with this magnificent publication.
Yes, it is quite large. It's a superzine. There is no way I could've made
a smaller issue since there has been so much news in the land of DXM
to cover since we last reported to you. It should also be noted that the
Zine has found a new home - the fabulous website at the Dextroverse
(dex.kenton.org). And since this issue will eventually be HTMLized at
that site, there is no need to email me to subscribe. The Zine will not
be sent out via email anymore. New issues will be presented on that site,
so look for them there. However, you are more than welcome to email me
article contributions.
  We have a great many articles to present to you for this edition.
We cover all the media reports that DXM has conjured up lately, and
explore DXM-related deaths. All the normal stuff is included, such as
information on ordering DXM, music and movie reviews, and our comprehensive
list of DXM sources (which has been updated by Erowid).
  Many ground-breaking articles appear as well. The 2012 DXM Odyssey
piece is very informative and also VERY important. Please do not overlook
this 3-part article. Also, a great new meditation technique by Vaesolis.
  We also have a simplified Agent Lemon Extraction and a ground-breaking
piece on how DXM has shown promise in reducing morphine withdrawal and
tolerance.
  A lot of good articles ... too many to go into detail here. You may
wonder why so much? This is because there will not be another issue out
for some time. The enormous size of this issue is to cover all the lost
time since Issue 10 and to tide you over until the next issue comes out,
which will most likely be the 5-year Anniversary Edition later this year.
  Yes, you read it right. Five years. We started out in November of 1997.
And we will never cease publication. However, since I am the sole editor
and creator of this Zine, and since nobody is willing to take over the
enormous amount of work that is involved in publishing this Zine, issues
will have to be put out when there is time to put them out.
  I would like to acknowledge and thank everyone who has helped me making
this issue a reality, especially VoiD iMaGe and Vaesolis of the Dextro-
verse, Lucidity, and everyone else who has either contributed with an
article or trip report, or has helped me in some way or another in
continuing the legacy of DXM.  Thank you!

                                                       gravol
                                                       St Augustine, FL
                                                       May 10, 2002



THE HOUSE OF HELL AND OTHER ARTICLES REVISITED
THE BEST OF THE DXM ZINE
compiled by gravol

In our 10-issue history, dating back to November of 1997, we've published
many interesting and entertaining articles. Now we're going to take a
trip back into time and revisit some of the most interesting articles
that we published, and update you on other articles or people that were
mentioned in past issues. Hope you enjoy!


DXM And Creativity, by gravol (Issue 1).

In November of '97 we debuted with an article about the creativity of users
of DXM and how DXM may affect their artistic or creative abilities.
  I have since used DXM at 2nd plateau doses because it helps relax me
and keeps me in a focused state for doing long, complex pieces of work
such as the Amiens Cathedral which I completed in 1999. It took me well
over 2 weeks, 5 hours a day of drawing. No tracing was done. For me, DXM
enhanced my coordination and my ability to sit in the same position for
long periods of time and draw something that normally I have no patience
for, and let me tell you, the result paid off big time!
  You can view my drawing at www.lesia.org/amiens.jpg. I promise you
won't be disappointed!


Streetlights and Other Electrical Phenomenon, by DarkElf; gravol (Issue 1).

This was a rather interesting article on how one observant user, DarkElf,
noticed that streetlights would go out as he'd pass under them:

  I started to notice strange occurrences of streetlights either going
  on or off as I would pass them. Sometimes I would just simply look up
  at a burned out light and it would flicker a few times, then come on.

He noted that even if the lights were on sensors, why would they go out
after you pass them, or were directly under them? Nobody's been able to
shed much light on this subject, since we don't have a streetlight expert
present, but my theory is far from supernatural. I believe the lights may
be on timers to conserve electricity and systematically go out throughout
the night. It's just that only a few people ever really stop to notice
that streetlights going out is a naturally reoccurring phenomenon. Of
course they also go back on, so it's not suffice to say they burn all
the way out - which backs up my theory that they're simply on timers.
  However, a recent website that talks about mind control, brought up
this very subject. It states:

  The following symptoms are of the harassment typical of electronic mind
  weapon targets (non-electronic harassment usually goes with the electronic
  effects):

  3. Telephones frequently have static or tones or echoes; you have lots of
     "wrong number" calls

  4. Street lights going out as you pass under them, walking or driving

I'm not sure what the author of this site is getting at because a lot of this
is very common to experience. The site is www.earthmountainview.com/
mind_control.htm.
  Also, DarkElf did make some other interesting points regarding
electromagnetic waves and other unexplainable phenomena:

  We were on DXM swimming in my pool, with music on the radio playing.
  Suddenly, the radio just shuts off. As I start to get out of the pool
  to see what happened, it comes back on again...Later on, it shuts off
  again. I then ask my friends if they know what's going on.. of course,
  they don't. Then it just starts up again. This happened about 4 times
  that night. At the time, I just attributed it to a short somewhere
  (it was not the electricity -- the pool light was on the entire time).
  Strangely, though, this never happened again while we were sober.
     Another time, my current gf and I were both on fairly high doses
  of DXM talking on the phone. Close to the peak of the trip, she says
  "show me you're here." So, believing that indeed I could, I started
  trying to envision myself there. Immediately, the phone goes dead. There
  was no hangup, no click.. just an instant dialtone. So I hung up the
  phone. A couple seconds later, the phone rings and I pick it up. I then
  thank her for calling me back, and she says she didn't -- HER phone
  rang. Just another strange incident.

He also brought up an excellent point concerning NDEs and how people that
have experienced DXM might hold something in common with people who have
experienced NDEs:

  After reading a few books on NDEs (near-death experiences) I've found
  a few things that fit together. It turns out that people who have
  experienced NDEs report a threefold increase in paranormal phenomena.
  Two drugs are mentioned as being able to induce NDEs: morphine and
  ketamine. DXM is not listed (probably because it isn't known), but
  obviously fits because it's a morphine analog that is very similar to
  ketamine in high doses. Futhermore, a certain doctor (I forget the name)
  that supposedly took ketamine for a hundred days straight says he came
  into contact with "cosmic coincidence control." A strange thing for him
  to say, considering all of the coincidences that have occurred since
  I started DXM.

And it should be noted, as you will soon read, that 68% of DXM users have
reported paranoramal phenomena.


DXM...The New Wave, by Anonymous (Issue 2).

One of our earliest articles dates back to when this person was
working for a grocery store and decided, as part of an experiment, to
put his phone number into boxes of Coricidin Cough & Cold to see what
type of people would call him back.
  Even back in '97, Coricidin use was skyrocketing. Of course we know
today that Coricidin is an extreme danger to users but back then it was
just the latest trend. The person, who still wishes to remain anonymous,
wrote:

  You may think it's just low-lifes on this drug, but it's not. It's
  everyone from hot chicks to popular guys at high school. The stuff
  has spread so much already that it's just overwhelming to think
  about, and all this is just at the local level.
     The future of DXM is as wide open as the great blue sky. Virtually
  unlimited, cheap supplies available to only a limited few who really
  know about the stuff and a world full of people just looking to get
  off on it. I know you may be skeptical of it, but don't be. It's the
  fastest growing drug there is, and it'll eventually spur publicity,
  so that's why I'm remaining anonymous.
     I even hear the letters DXM are carved in the pavement in front
  of the Radio Shack in the plaza where I work...

If only he knew back then just how popular DXM abuse would become, namely
Coricidin abuse, he might have been able to do something about it - but
that's highly doubtful.


DXM Withdrawal, by Anonymous (Issue 2).

Once again we have an Anonymous author who couldn't be reached but we do
have more information in on withdrawal symptoms of DXM. For example, I have
used DXM on average of every day at 2nd plateau doses so you could say I
was a prime candidate for withdrawal when I went to the county jail for
violating my probation. Up to that point I had been using every day, so
I can't imagine anyone's withdrawal being much worse than mine.
  About 3 days into it, I started to lose my appetite, get sharp flashes
of pain in my head everytime I moved my eyeballs... it grew more and more
intense as time went on. I know jail food is nothing to write home about,
but you generally get all you can come by because they keep you on the brink
of starvation. Needless to say, I was giving mine away because the very
thought of food made me nauseous. I wasn't nearly as bad off as heroin
addicts or other people in there going through DT's for hydrocodone or
other opiates, but it was noticeable and it affected my appetite and
my sleep. My dreams became more vivid, I slept a lot longer, and kept
getting those flashes of pain, but everything started to subside after
five or six days, and within a week and a few days I was fine.
  So, in conclusion, DXM withdrawal is a very real thing, and DXM can
be physically addictive, but even my case was a little extreme considering
how much I used it.


The Trip from Hell...Punderson Manor, by gravol (Issue 2).

               "There is a house in New Orleans
                They call the Rising Sun
                It's been the ruin of many a poor boy
                And God I know I'm one..."
                                       - Old song lyrics

This is the infamous House of Hell. Spiraling staircases, chandeliers,
gigantic fireplaces, carpet that looks like a 3-dimensional jungle with
vines crawling up your feet when you're tripping, a gigantic dome and
above that a tower, nestled up high in the abscesses of darkness, complete
with a bat, no electricity, and many broken and battered objects that
look like they had been flung about in some sort of rage...
  The old part of the manor had narrow hallways, low-lying ceilings,
a library with stained glass overlooking Punderson Lake (the house stood
high atop a hill, you see, deeply entrenched in miles of lonely and
foreboding woods), and last but not least the Blue Room, the most haunted
room of the manor.
  But it wasn't that room that we had the most disturbing time of our
lives... it was another, more quaint, silent room down the hall. And it
wasn't our acid-laden adventures that scared the bejesus out of us, but
our DXM escapade, or more accurately put, fiasco, that led us to the
brink of insanity and a glimpse of what was beyond...
  Below are the excerpts, guaranteed to bring a chill to your spine.

  Punderson Manor sits atop a large hill overlooking eerie Punderson
  Lake, all surrounded by dense woods and a vast nothingness named
  Punderson State Park, about 35 miles east of Cleveland. But it is
  more than just the frightening experience of this English-style
  tudor mansion that caught my attention...it is also the fact that
  it is haunted...

  The night desk clerk downstairs looked like a vampire from the
  Lost Boys, which scared my friends, but he agreed to take us up into
  the Tower (which has been shut off from the public for years). Upon
  ascending the narrow staircase he warned us of a large bat that makes
  its home up there (he was very serious in everything he spoke of and
  refused to go up without a large flashlight to beat the thing with in
  case it attacked him). I was already developing a nice speech impairment
  from the DXM and my friends were quite edgy, especially since it all
  appeared to be dreamlike. Well, actually, this dream seemed more like a
  nightmare as every minute passed.
     The Tower was dark and abandoned, littered with old lodge supplies
  and furniture. It was also rumored that the guy who built the lodge hung
  himself up here, but there's no substantial evidence of that. Anyway, we
  were all exploring the dismal place when the vampire-guy inadvertently
  (or so we thought) opened up a small closet door while mumbling to himself,
  "What's in here?" He shined the flashlight beam inside it.
     My friend Mike stood back in utter shock. Inside was an old dusty
  mirror and written on it was "GET THESE DAMN KIDS OUT OF MY HOUSE"...
  Mike later told me he had read it and seen his own reflection just at the
  same time and it drove him over the edge of sanity and into sheer terror.
  To me, it wasn't that big of a deal... I tried to stay mellow...

  And if that wasn't enough to drive us insane, while we were back in our
  room the TV shuts off by itself as I'm sitting on the bed watching it.
  I was the closest to the TV and remote and I know it shut off by itself.
  We turned it on again without a problem. By this time we were all beginning
  to get scared, but the worst was yet to come.
     Most of us came under the impression that we were drawn together here
  for a reason... it was destiny. I've never felt such a strong feeling of
  fate in my life. We felt as if we were unlocking the hidden mysteries of
  our life in this old manor. It was truly amazing to say the least.
     I am going to conclude our little hellish experience below, and I'd
  like to say that everything I write is the sole truth, so help me God...

  As we returned back down that twisting road of Route 87, I remember the
  sky to this day... it looked dark and hellish, with little hints of red
  towards the horizon (the sun was going down) but other-wise a deep bluish-
  black shroud of death... and our destination being the House of Hell
  itself.
     We got back and made due with the DXM we had. Jeremy, however, was going
  to go back later that night down to his college dorm because of classes the
  following Monday and having to study for a test. We were all five chilling
  in the room and had just come out of the bathroom with a mild DXM buzz from
  smoking more pot when Jake reached down on the floor to pick up his sweat-
  shirt but instead held up a pair of ancient-looking keys that looked like
  they belonged to a medieval English dungeon. He later told us it was as if
  he "just reached through some dimension and grabbed the keys and brought
  them back into this dimension." To this day not one of us knows where they
  actually came from.
     Then to make matters worse the phone in our room rang once. Then dead
  silence. I could tell Jeremy was starting to question what the hell was
  going on, and he wasn't even on DXM. Plus Jeremy never was afraid of any-
  thing supernatural. Some time passed after trying to figure out where the
  keys came from and then Jake said "maybe it's a sign that we're going to
  jail - "...
     Just then there was a knock on our door. What the hell! I personally
  thought it was the cops, but I didn't know what to expect... nobody knew us
  up here! I was closest to the door, so they made me open it. I couldn't
  believe my eyes as the door swung open...

If you want to find out what happened, read Issue 2, which is at the Third
Plateau Site. And if you're ever traveling through Ohio on a cold winter
night, and decide to to give Punderson State Park a visit, beware... I truly
believe there are malevolent forces at work there.
  The park has a website, which you can find by doing a search for the
name, and can view the facade of the imposing mansion, but it is not advisable
to ever stay there, and especially not if you're tripping on DXM!


My Experiences with DXM, by DeeXMan (Issue 2).

DeeXMan is alive and well. I had the pleasure of meeting him up in Jackson-
ville, Florida, last year, before he moved down to West Palm Beach. Nice
guy. Kinda looks like Tom Green. A little crazy, too, but aren't we all?


DXM Nausea...And How to Prevent It, by various authors (Issue 3).

Back in '98, we listed some helpful tips if you're experiencing DXM nausea.
These are outlined here, along with one tip that came in after this article
was published and has been found quite affective by the editor himself -
that would be ginger, the spice. If you pack about a spoonful or two into
two capsules and swallow it, within 45 to 60 minutes you will have no gag
reflex and any nausea will diminish. I can't recall who passed this infor-
mation along but he has been listed in previous Zine issues.
  In the original article, it was some pretty common-sensical approaches
to stopping nausea - having some food in your stomach, but not a full
stomach; trying freebase DXM; try taking a motion-sickness medication such
as Benadryl or Dramamine (may affect your trip); don't drink syrups with
guiafenesin in them, and so on.


The Fifty-Trip Limit, by Anonymous (Issue 3).

I am happy to say that William White's theory of a Fifty-Trip Limit is
just not so. I have experienced the magic of DXM maybe 500 times over the
last 4 years and yes, I did get a tolerance to it (DXM today is nothing
like what it used to be), but I eventually "broke on through" and developed
a stage of heightened awareness and enlightenment.
  I must stress that I only use it at the 2nd plateau level and that the
drug has evolved much differently than what it used to be... not as euphoric;
however, it still brings me euphoria, and a closeness to God which I have
never experienced with any other drug, except for maybe DMT.
  So if DXM may seem tiring to you, but something keeps drawing you back
to it, perhaps the answer lies in discovering yourself and your spiritual
path by exploring your identity with the universe. Do what you feel is best,
but don't listen to your mind... listen to your heart.
  Also, as far as brain damage goes, let us reiterate this very important
point, made by William White, since many people have an illusion that DXM
has been known to cause brain damage at low doses:

  Brain damage. I've seen no evidence for this except with very frequent
  high-dose use (e.g., third or fourth plateau several times a week for
  several months); furthermore, people who do report DXM becoming less
  pleasant with time haven't said it's that much faster with high dose
  trips (whereas any brain damage problem would be). Technically speaking,
  the damage that Olney et al found with dissociatives is way beyond the
  fourth plateau dosage level, and I'm not convinced that normal users
  would ever experience it.

So there you have it, straight from the horse's mouth. I hope this helps
to dispel some of the nasty and ugly rumors that DXM has been picking up
lately.


The Road To Total Insanity, by Muha (Issue 4).

An excellent article and instructions on how to create your own salvia
bong. salvia, as you may already know, is being hounded by the FDA and will
eventually become illegal. They're still not quite sure how it works on
the brain, and that has slowed down their pursuit of making this sage
illegal. ABC News recently published an article on their website attributing
it to the next LSD (see link below).
  But, much like DXM, salvia is not a recreational drug, but a tool
used for spiritual enlightenment and journeys through the space/time
continuum. It should never be used by the light-of-heart... only experienced
and totally serious soul-seekers need apply.
  For the complete instructions and a very useful guide on what to expect,
trek back to Issue 4. The link to the ABC news article on salvia divinorum
is at http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/divinorum020401.html.


Trip Back in Time, by Palaxia (Issue 4).

Sad note here. Palaxia was a NYC native that posted a trip report in that
issue. Her boyfriend, Ben, whom she tripped with, has since died of cancer,
and it is not clear where she is today.


DXM and Drug Screening, by Alan B. Storrow, Michael Magoon, Glenn Mitchell
   (Issue 5).

A side-note on this article is that one user ordered pure dextromethorphan
powder and gave it out to his friends, apparently at very-high doses, and
his friends (which apparently became enemies) went to the hospital and
freaked out. They did a blood test and it came back positive for PCP.
  However, my experience has been that DXM will not show up as an opiate
on stick tests or cup tests. DXM has a higher probability of showing up as
PCP on a cup test but that too is doubtful - you'd have to use a lot of it.


DXM Replacements, by Sigma (Issue 5).

In '98 Sigma offered several 'replacement' drugs to use if DXM becomes too
tiring. One of those, salvia, we have already elaborated upon. The other two
were Genesis (I have no clue if this is still available) and GHB.
  Genesis is basically herbal and contains LSA (the chemical cousin to LSD)
but after a few times it starts to lose its charm. It would've been much
better if they would've just packed ample amounts of LSA into the capsules
instead of filling the remainder with the herbs. It did receive some high
marks, though, but is still not nearly as good as plain ol' acid and certainly
no better than DXM.
  And then we have GHB. Ah, yes... GHB. Ever since the FDA banned GBL, or
lactone, it's become a lot harder to get. Plus the DEA is cracking down on
GHB abuse (unfortunately some individuals used it for their own personal
gain and sexual prowess) so it's not advisable that you even get involved
with this chemical... it's not worth the headache from the legal system.


DXM Survey (Issue 6).

Something new we started with Issue 5 was to start posting surveys for our
subscribers to be polled on particular subjects relating to DXM. In this
issue we got back these results:

86% of those who participated claim they have experienced CEVs.
69% of those who participated claim they have taken LSD in the past.
54% of those who participated claim they have had an OBE on DXM.
2% of those who participated were undecided.

Looking back on it, it's highly questionable what exactly is the definition
used for an OBE by these individuals, but there is no doubt that they had
floating sensations and felt they were hovering over their bodies. However,
this isn't a true out-of-body experience in which you can dissociate your
consciousness with your physical body and look back upon it - but this is
a very close state.


Nightmares and Paranoid Delusions, by Alpha (Issue 6).

Word has gotten to me that this individual is somewhere in a state-run
mental facility, however I question the source of that information. Perhaps,
reading the original article, you can judge for yourself...


Space Alien Conspiracy, by Anonymous (Issue 6).

In this article the frantic ramblings of a man being haunted by his own
karma came to our curious attention:

  what did i do, man i wish i would have never done that at (removed)
  house, i'm getting the negative effects bad, damn, man, tonite, i got
  fucked again.  what am i going to do,  i got another ticket, but for a
  first degree misdemeanor,  man,  i can't take this much longer, i really
  can't, i don't know what to say to my parents, and i have to go to court
  on this friday, and that's when i am supposed to go to school, fuck, man
  what did i do to get all this shit, i don't have this money to pay for all
  this shit, man, i really don't know, what to do, i'm going crazy...

I am happy to report the man is doing well, has since gone to college, and
become a park ranger in the state of Washington.


DXM Survey (Issue 7).

Ah, another survey, with results from the last. Read on, fellow DXMers, to
the amazing results:

68% of those who participated reported unexplainable phenomena on DXM.
58% of those who participated say they like DXM better than LSD.
58% of those who participated state their principle DXM source as being OTC.
     9% of those who said OTC most frequently use Generic store brands.
    27% of those who said OTC most frequently use Robitussin.
    27% of those who said OTC most frequently use Coricidin.
     9% of those who said OTC most frequently use Delsym.
    28% of those who said OTC stated another brand of choice.
        (Other brands named: Actifed Cough & Cold Dry, Vicks 44,  
         Boots Tusana Cough Linctus)
37% of those who participated state their principle DXM source as pure powder.
    43% of those who said powder say they order from Biotech.
    29% of those who said powder say they order from JLF.
    29% of those who said powder say they order from another company.
        (Other companies named: Wanman, and another undisclosed company)
42% of those who participated say that have tried DXM polistirex (Delsym).
5% of those who participated were undecided on a particular question.

These results show that 2/3 of the participants thought a paranormal
experience had occurred. Pretty significant!


DXM Breakthrough...Grapefruit Juice and DXM, by gravol, Blkfury, DexdBob
  (Issue 7).

Probably one of our most interesting pieces. It was discovered by Blkfury,
living in Texas, that grapefruit juice affected the same enzyme that metab-
olizes DXM. Grapefruit juice has been long known to affect certain medications
like Xanax and Feldene, even caffeine, but up to this point we had no idea
that grapefruit juice also affected the metabolism of DXM in the bloodstream:

  Grapefruit juice is thought to work by inhibiting an enzyme called
  cytochrome P4503A4 (the same enzyme responsible for the metabolism of
  DXM hydrobromide), one of a family of enzymes that break down
  drugs as they pass through the liver. CYP3A4 is instrumental in the
  metabolism of the calcium-channel blockers nifedipine, felodipine,
  nitrendipine, and nisoldipine, as well as cyclosporine, an antirejection
  drug taken by people who have had organ transplants. It also appears to
  interfere with CYP1A2, the enzyme that breaks down caffeine. As a
  result, the morning cup of coffee may pack a greater wallop.


The Living Dead, by Satva (Issue 7).

The last time I spoke with Satva, he stated that he no longer saw dead
people. But maybe that's because he's laid off the DXM. He went to jail
for a while and still has a screwed up mind, but that's a whole 'nother story.


The Time I Ate 60 Coricidins, by Thorazine (Issue 7).

It is unclear if this individual is still with us, his last known email
address was bluerazz@wsp1.wspice.com... feel free to contact him.


Coricidin May Be Deadly, by Robert Golaszewski, Bill The Cat (Issue 7).

I think the key word, "may," is grossly understated. Special thanks to
Robert for highlighting and tracking the death of Coricidin abusers.
As far as it looks, the only accidental deaths attributed to DXM overdose
all originate from Coricidin Cough & Cold.


DXM Survey (Issue 8).

Yet another one of our lovely DXM surveys, this one having to do with
withdrawal and adverse reactions:

30% of those who participated reported mixing DXM with other hallucinogens
   in approximately equal proportions.
28% of those who participated and have tried Coricidin reported experiencing
   adverse physical reactions or other uncommon side effects after using
   Coricidin C&C.
25% of those who participated claim to have experienced physical withdrawal      
   symptoms from DXM (i.e. nightmares, headaches or "brownouts," depression,
   mood swings, etc.).


The First DXM Baby, by Jesusface (Issue 8).

Do you remember Jesusface? Oh, probably not. Well, how about Jesustussin?
Does that name ring a bell?

   So anyway after I got out of military school I found out that Drixoral
   wasn't being made anymore, and could only be found in hillbilly towns in
   Alabama where they hadn't sold all of their stock like the military school
   I went to. So I started to drink Tussin DM. I drank a bottle a day at
   first, then it moved to 2 then Kroger had a sale for buy 1 get one free.
   And I started going in everynight buying 4 bottles. I'd drink 2 before
   school and 2 later that night. The cool thing was I would wake up still
   fucked up and I could drink more and not have one minute sober for weeks.
      Most people would say damn, why the fuck would you do DXM that much?
   Well, I have one simple answer. Jesustussin. Yes Jesustussin. If you ever
   see me in #DXM (jesusface) you probably have bitched at me for talking
   about jesustussin. You see I started talking to someone who you couldn't
   see after doing robo so much. And even better they would talk back. At
   first I called him Nissut obor. He then later revealed himself to me as
   Jesustussin. You may think it sounds crazy but I swear I'm not the only
   person to have been chosen by jesustussin. My friends all made fun of me
   for it but one by one they all fell victim to his spell. I realize now you
   have to break thru a couple plateaus or whatever they are called to find
   him. He hides there. He only wants those who are "in it to win it."  All
   he would do is force me to go get more tussin so he could still have
   control over me. He only has power if you invoke him. Yes jesustussin
   is a very very evil entity. I would find myself arguing for days with him.

For the complete monologue of this rather interesting fellow, please go to
the Third Plateau's mirror of the Zine.


My Sled, And the Atomic Bomb, by gravol (Issue 8).

Yet another adventerous trip into the rugged outdoors, this time being
Beaver Creek State Park in Eastern Ohio in Columbiana County, complete with
its own ghost town, which used to be an old logging community, and a lady
in white that, it is rumored, if touched by her, you will die.
  That day I had consumed not only Delsym (which backwards spells My Sled)
but also grapefruit juice, and gone on this incredible journey with my
then-girlfriend and friend Jeremy, through a dense jungle of woods and old
canal locks that dated back from the early 1800's. Below is an excerpt of
my journal entry:

6:30 PM - A bug flies at my face, making me realize I'm still with us.
         Hmm... Very intense. Kind of eerie... the lyrics of the song as
         I write this is "And we're on our way, no we can't turn back, yea
         we're on our way, and we can't turn back... Cuz it's too late, too
         late, too late, too late."

The woods down here in Florida are just not the right climate for tripping
in... snakes and reptiles galore! So I guess I will always hold a special
place in my heart for those endless days up in Ohio when the sun used to
set a brazenly beautiful triumph over golden fields of wheat and dark woods
of pines and oaks. Ahh, the memories...


DXM...A New Religion, by Terrence, John L. (Issues 8 and 9).

Unfortunately for the self-proclaimed founders of this new religion, it did
not go well with our subscribers and last I've heard John ran out with
Terrence's wife, because Terrence was too busy praying to Jesustussin (it's
a joke)... ;)


Miracle on Fifth Street, by gravol (Issue 9).

This goes back to December of '98, the earth's first brush with the Photon
Belt that Dr. Noel Huntley describes in this current issue, and that's when
all the magic began... my first glimpse at enlightenment. Though it only
lasted a month, and was paralelled by falling in love, true love, for the
first time in my life, it would again visit me in March of this year. The
following is an excerpt:

  I have everything I want out of life flowing together,
  all by mere coincidence... money in my pocket, a nice car,
  a great girlfriend, a great social life and wonderful friends,
  great luck, my old hobby of coin collecting has come back,
  and I am now drawing and writing poetry again like never
  before... and I always have a smile on my face. I never imagined
  so much could be possible. I'm even starting college in January
  and my car payments will soon be paid off. I know, somewhere high up
  in the heavens, the gods must be smiling down upon this moment...
  knowing that an individual has used light and love to meet
  his needs of enlightenment and shed total knowledge and
  absolute understanding and compassion among all others.
     Again, I emphasize to you... never before has my life been
  so complete, so happy. It's not a false happiness. It's a wonderful
  happiness... songs fill my head, words inspire me, my hands create
  beautiful masterpieces, everything I do seems to turn out perfect...
  and I am in love with the one perfect girl I never dreamed I could
  have.... and it is all coming true. And why? Because of doing
  DXM every day. I swear to you... DXM itself may not be the only
  thing to thank for this bliss but it is purely an essential
  necessity in reaching the great chasm that divides good and
  evil... beauty and decay. I have bridged the gap... I have
  opened the doors of perception and my heart is filled with
  everlasting love and enlightenment for all mankind and I can
  honestly say this is the Merriest Christmas I've ever had.
     And I want to extend my blessings and utmost joys to you and
  everyone you know, so that you may have a very Merry Christmas
  and a Happy New Year!

The woman of my dreams has since vanished, quite mysteriously, into the
night. In fact I have no idea today if she is living or dead. But, looking
back, I can honestly say that was the most magical time of my life, and I
hope to repeat it someday soon. The enlightenment which I had a glimpse of
back then I am rediscovering today as I strip away layer after layer of my
ego and break out of the mold into which I was cast, like everyone else
here on Earth. Good luck to you all!


DXM Survey (Issue 9).

A whimsical survey done on the recently-discovered benefits of grapefruit
juice, but the most fascinating part of this survey, or any survey I ever
conducted, was the last percentile - a whopping two-thirds of participants
acknowledged that DXM influenced their religious beliefs up to the point
of changing them! What other drug has been able to do that?

44% of those who participated have tried DXM with grapefruit juice.
45% of those who participated and have tried grapefruit juice reported
   the experience to be better than they initially expected.
68% of those who participated claim their religious beliefs have been
   influenced or changed by DXM.
---

Well, that about does it for our magical trip back into time (reminiscent
of a DXM trip, no?). I hope you have enjoyed reading some of these articles
as much as I have enjoyed writing some of them and editing the rest... and if
anyone does have an copy of Issue 10, please forward it to the editor...
we seemed to have lost it somewhere!



DXM IN THE MEDIA
compiled by VoiD iMaGe; gravol

We are finding these days an increasing mention of DXM in the news
media. Occasionally DXM gets the national spotlight, like it did on
the Montel Williams show in March, but more usually, it is local
newspapers that run specials on the growing trend of DXM abuse.
  It is highly disturbing to see individuals abusing Coricidin,
the "crack" form of DXM, but many younger abusers are just unwilling
to extract from syrup, nor do they enjoy the taste of the syrup,
and probably don't have a credit card to order the pure powder.
This is how I got my start with DXM, but the bottom line is if you
continue with Coricidin, it will eventually break you.
  For the most part, these articles mention both cough syrup and
Coricidin about evenly, but the last article hits home with me since
it was the city where I grew up. If you recall the first issue of
the DXM Zine, in January of 1997, I made a mention of this growing
phenomenon among local area residents, because I had walked out of
my former job and onto the sidewalk I saw, written in a blood-like
substance, the letters DXM. And that is where it all began, you could
say.
  So I hope you enjoy these following articles, which were meticulously
collected by VoiD, and if you should find a mention of DXM in your local
newspaper, do not hesitate to contact us about it!

---

Christchurch, New Zealand

We start out first in New Zealand. Chemical companies will come
under close scrutiny in the search for the supplier of a new
Christchurch street drug. Dextromethorphan, known as DXM, was
apparently being used by the 20-year old man shot by Christchurch
police on Wednesday morning. It is the first time the National Drug
Intelligence Bureau has heard of DXM abuse in New Zealand. Ministry
of Health Senior Advisor Dr. Bob Boyd says health officials, Police and
Customs are now working to find out where it came from. DXM is found in
some cough mixtures, but Dr Boyd says it would have to be consumed in
huge quantities to result in a "trip."

---

Detroit, Michigan

The number of local teens using over-the-counter cold pills to get a
euphoric high is on the rise, health officials said.
  Abuse of Coricidin has grown sharply among teen-agers in the past
year, local health officials said.
  The Poison Control Center at Children's Hospital in Detroit received
102 calls last year of youths who overdosed on the red pills, three
times as many as in 2000. The center took 33 calls on Coricidin abuse
in January and February this year.
  When the cold tablets are taken in high doses, sometimes called
"DXing, it can cause excitability, stupor and hallucinations, officials
said.
  "It's dangerous and the trend is growing," Susan Smolinske, managing
director of the Poison Control Center at Children's Hospital in Detroit,
told The Detroit News for a Thursday story. "Kids and parents need to
know that this is dangerous."
  Taking high overdoses of the drug can harm the liver, officials said.
In combination with alcohol, the tablets may cause dizziness or drowsi-
ness.
  "I've seen kids take several entire boxes at once," Smolinske said.
"It speeds up heart rate to the point where a cardiac death is very
possible. They could also stop breathing."
  The active ingredient teen-age users are seeking is dextromethorphan,
an active ingredient generally used as a cough suppressant in more than 125
over-the-counter products.
  A spokesman from the Schering Plough HealthCare Products in New Jersey,
which makes Coricidin, said the company is aware that teens abuse
Coricidin, and is working to educate the public about the problem.
  "We continue to monitor and understand this issue the best we can,"
company spokesman Jim Lowenda said.
  The medicine is completely safe if used as directed, said Laura
Bradbard, a spokeswoman for the federal Food and Drug Administration.

Posted 3/14/2002
Detroit Free Press
---

Chesterton, Indiana

A year and a week ago, on March 22, 2001, Joshua Brown was one of seven
students arrested on the grounds of Chesterton High School for using
LSD.
  A freshman at the time, Josh would escape the judgment of the law-on a
technicality-but not the sentence of the Duneland School Corporation. He
was expelled.
  Josh had been a wrestler, a student in honors English, a Boy Scout just
shy of Eagle. He'd scored in the 98th percentile on the ISTEP. But a
year and a week ago Josh had long since traded his promising future for
a fugitive present. He was an addict, a committed abuser of Coricidin
HBP Cough & Cold and a happy dabbler in nearly everything else: LSD,
PCP, Ecstasy, inhalants, cocaine, and-of course-pot and booze.
  "I just sat around and ate food and got high and watched TV."
  Josh's expulsion was a blessing. Other kids pop or snort or shoot their
way to jail or the morgue. He hit rock bottom standing. Fourteen days
after his arrest, on April 5, 2001, Josh entered the highly successful
treatment program at Pathway Family Center in Indianapolis, one of the
very few long-term regimens in the country. He is still there, nearing
graduation, recovering day by day. And-Josh wants friends still using to
know, their families to know-what he has done so too can they. Drugs
need not swallow the future. There is hope. There is help. Get it now.
  Josh remembers his slide into addiction as a slow one. He first smoked
marijuana in the sixth grade and not heavily until the summer after the
seventh, and in those days Josh was chasing the approval of his peers as
much as he was the pleasure of the high. "I always thought it would be
the cool thing to do because older kids were doing it, and I thought
that if I was doing it I'd be up where they were."
  Over a period of months, however, and far more rapidly than he
recollects now, drugs came to drive his life. Josh took to using by
himself. He began using often, whenever he could score something,
anything. He developed a taste for Coricidin, "Triple C," an
over-the-counter medication which, in large doses, acts as an
hallucinogen. And, borne on those hallucinations, Josh drifted into a
lazy fog. Which suited him just fine. "A lot of me liked the high, just
the high itself. But a lot of it was an escape too. When I first
started, it wasn't necessarily for escape. It was pretty much for
acceptance and I liked it. But the more I used, the more I saw that it
was an easy escape."
  Escape from what?
  "My hurt and anger. It was my feelings I was trying to escape from."
  Feelings which neither he nor his family seemed capable of facing.
"Nothing ever really got put out. Everything got shoved under the
sheets. We'd deal with it, but we wouldn't really deal with what was
going around. It was pretty much like the pink elephant in the middle of
the room. We dealt with it but we didn't deal with the bottom lines of
things."
  Still, if the Brown family dynamic gave him a reason to use-or an
excuse-the Duneland youth culture gave him no reason not to. Use is not
merely accepted here, he says, but almost expected, and not only by his
friends but in some cases by his friends' parents. Kids have little
incentive to say No, and much to say Yes. "It's such an accepted thing
in high school. I've had parents buy me liquor, who know about it, who
let us smoke cigarettes. Parents would go out of town and we'd use their
house. Or at sleepovers, behind their parents' backs."
  Not that Josh or his friends ever needed someone's house to use.
Anywhere would do. "There's nothing to do in this town but a bowling
alley. And I did drugs there. And at church. Or at Boy Scouts. I used at
school. I did cocaine in the library at school. I used everywhere. You
can use anywhere. Anywhere that kids are people use."
  Josh appears never to have thought much about his recklessness. Kids all
around him were being busted or buried. "But not me. I didn't really
believe it. That wouldn't happen to me."
  What would happen to him, on the other hand, in a month, a year, a
lifetime, seemed as unreal and trifling as his hallucinations. Time, for
all practical purposes, had stopped for Josh. "I didn't really focus on
the future at all. I dwelled on the past a lot. The future was just a
bunch of dreams. I didn't really care."
  And on those rare occasions when Josh did care, when his qualms would
cut through the fog, he'd do the only reasonable thing for an adolescent
addict to do. He'd pop some Coricidin.
  "I loved doing the drugs. But I wanted not to do it. It's weird. I
needed help. But I just wanted the drugs too. To me I'd rather do the
drugs because that's another way of covering up not wanting to do drugs.
It's a big circle. That's the way to solve everything, to do drugs."

Posted 3/29/2002
Kevin Nevers
Chesterton Tribune
---

Arvada, Colorado

A 17-year-old Arvada girl overdosed on over-the-counter medicine this
week, sparking concerns from police and drug experts about the
increasingly unique ways teenagers are getting high. "All the cold and
cough preparations containing certain ingredients are widely abused,"
said Dr. Richard Dart, director of the Rocky Mountain Poison Center.
"We've seen them do everything." The unidentified girl on Monday took
several Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold pills, more than the recommended
dosage, said Arvada police spokeswoman Susan Medina. After complaining
at school of numbness in her face and arm, dizziness and disorientation,
she was taken to Lutheran Hospital, where she was treated and released.
Officials stress that Coricidin and other cold and cough medicines, when
administered properly, are safe. However, when taken in large doses,
some medications can cause hallucinations, delusions and giddiness, Dart
said.
   "Kids try it because it's the closest thing to real alcohol they can
get," said Wind Neal, 20, of Aurora, adding that he's tried
over-the-counter medications to get high. Rohan Murray, 17, of Denver,
said she knows kids who take cough medicines such as NyQuil and
Robitussin for a buzz, sometimes drinking a whole bottle. Some teens may
take a handful of Tylenol PM and then drink alcohol, too, she said. "It's
popular depending on who you hang out with," Murray said.
   Coricidin contains dextromethorphan, also known as DXM. Other
ingredients that abusers look for, and parents should be aware of, are
ephedrine and diphenhydramine, Dart said. Adverse health risks can
include dangerously high heart rates and blood pressure.  The high also
endangers teens because it causes them to lose control, Dart said. For
example, last winter, a metro-area teenager wandered away from a party
after becoming disoriented during a cold-remedy high and wound up
freezing to death after passing out in a puddle. Julie Brooks, a Golden
police officer and the department's resource officer at Golden High
School, said a teen student overdosed on Coricidin at that school last
year. "She was pretty much passed out at the school, and they ended up
taking her to the hospital," Brooks said.
   Brooks said Golden police talked with local merchants after the
incident, warning them of the abuse. At the local King Soopers on
Wednesday, a sign told customers that Coricidin, and some other cold
remedies, had to be purchased at the service counter. And on Wednesday,
Lauren Sims, a clinical director with the Mile High Council on
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, fielded a call from a Brighton parent about a
12-year-old who had abused Coricidin. "It was causing serious behavioral
changes," Sims said. "We need to take this seriously."
   Compounding the problem is the ease with which teens can find out
about the latest ways to abuse medications. Teenagers are using the
Internet to research ingredients in medicines, keying in on stimulants
and alcohol, and then using chat rooms to spread the word about the
readily available drugs, police said. "That's a component of this,"
Medina said. "In addition to word of mouth, some of these kids are
visiting chat rooms and websites to learn the effect of what the
medication does."
   As in Golden, Medina said Arvada police were planning to talk with
merchants about possible restrictions on certain over-the-counter
medications. But until then, officials say one of the best ways to deter
kids from abusing household medications is for parents to stay tuned in
to what their children are trying. "There's always that reminder to
parents, to be aware of what your kids are doing and what they are
putting into their bodies," Medina said.

Posted 8/23/2001
Kieran Nicholson & Erin Roth
Denver Post
---

Romulus, Michigan

Ever since the bloody parts of a dog were found in Romulus High School
last October, police and school authorities have been keeping an eye on
a 16-year-old boy whose writings and drawings were disturbing. "I wanna
hear your neck snap crackle and pop, just like the cops . . . cause I'm
smoking bud in the living room," reads one poem he left behind in a
classroom.
  "I may be a little insane ya' think but I don't think so I just go
with the flow of the blood," reads another. This week, Romulus police
finally gathered enough evidence to charge the boy with animal cruelty in
a gruesome crime that included the deliberate killing and dismemberment
of a dog in a wooded area of Romulus. The animal's severed head was
found in a toilet bowl in the second-floor men's room at Romulus High
School on Oct. 19.
  Five days later, an eyeball from the dog was left in a drinking fountain
at the school. Teachers almost immediately identified the boy as a suspect,
but he denied the allegations, according to a report filed in Wayne County
Juvenile Court. The boy had left drawings of people with their heads cut
off with a knife, heads blown off with a firearm and an eyeball with a
knife inside in a classroom, but there was not enough evidence to charge
him with a crime until last week, when the boy admitted killing the dog
with a knife, the court records said. "I got high off cough medicine and
weed," the boy wrote in his statement to police. The boy, whose name
is being withheld because of his age, was charged Tuesday with animal
cruelty, a 4-year felony.
  Juvenile Court Referee David Perkins set a $12,000 cash bond pending
a March 22 preliminary examination. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office
is asking juvenile court to consider sentencing him as an adult if he is
convicted. Animal cruelty is not a crime that can be considered for
automatic juvenile treatment. The boy's parents were at Tuesday's court
hearing and said they could not afford to bail their son out of the juvenile
detention facility. "He got messed up on drugs a couple of years ago, and
we got him help with that," his mother said after the hearing. "You know,
he was starting to do better recently. . . . It was like a group thing --
him and some of his friends. I guess they got bored and were just
having fun."
  Romulus Police have charged only the one youth with the crime. The boy
said the dog was a stray he had befriended and took into the woods.
Ownership of the animal has not been established. The boy is a sophomore
at the school and has been getting failing grades, his mother said. "We
have a cat and we have a hamster, our pets, and he's never hurt them,"
the mother said. "For a while there, he was getting suspended" from school,
she said, "but he hasn't for quite a while."

Posted 3/13/2002
Jack Kresnak (kresnak@freepress.com)
Detroit Free Press

[Editor's Note: While this is a horrific case, I'm sure DXM was not the
culprit. Most users become more empathetic when on DXM, not the opposite.
However, like LSD, if someone has underlying mental problems, these may
be brought out into the open when under DXM.]
---

New Boston, New Jersey

Alcohol remains the most abused drug among today's youth. But in recent
years, an expert on alcohol and drugs said, another dangerous trend is
rising to the forefront in scary numbers among teens - so-called "club
drugs" used at rave parties.
  Among the most alarming trends is the growing experimentation with
over-the-counter drugs and medicine that can be found at most drug-
stores. In the past year, three teen-agers - including one Monroe
youth - have died from taking overdoses of Coricidin cough and cold
pills. In each case, the victim took an average of 10 to 30 pills.
  "It's happening in epidemic proportions all over the country," he
said. "There was a high school, I won't say where, that had 37 kids
skip first hour. We found out they had taken Coricidin together."
  He said residents can help prevent tragedies by asking drugstore
owners to move products like Coricidin, Vicks vapor inhalers and
Benadryl to areas not readily accessible to teens.

Posted 3/21/2002
---

Miami, Florida

A camouflage-clad National Guardmember pokes his head into Kulchur's
car window. Are you here for the special event? he asks gruffly. I'm
here for the drug-free rave apparently is the correct password. The
guardsman motions to drive on to a parking spot past his hulking
military truck outside Coconut Grove's Peacock Park. There a half-
dozen tents and a DJ booth have been erected under the auspices of
the Miami Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Community, which hopes
to unmask the risks and realities of the rave scene.
  Inside one tent, which features the federal Drug Enforcement
Administration insignia on its flap, the Miami Coalition's director
of communications, Bernie Diaz, remains unruffled by the sparse
audience. Since the National Guard is used as part of the government's
anti-drug strategy in schools, and as Guardmembers have finished the
grunt work of setting up these tents, why not educate them? As one
guardsman listens intently, Diaz launches into performance mode,
motioning to a table strewn with glossy rave-party flyers and what
he terms dangerous rave paraphernalia: pacifiers, Charm's Blow
Pops, and Vicks VapoRub. He's in the middle of vividly relating how
Ecstasy-addled ravers are transfixed by the glassy effects of glow
sticks when the guardsman interrupts, pointing to a glovelike ball-
studded object on the table: What's with the brass knuckles?
  Ahh, Diaz purrs with a knowing smile. This is a massager, he
explains, rolling the suspect device back and forth on the soldier's arm.
It heightens the sensual effects of Ecstasy. Total strangers massage
each other, which leads to sexual contact. He pauses for effect and
adds, They'll do anything with anybody!
  Diaz moves on to a bottle of Robitussin, describing how thousands of
kids are now chugging entire bottles of cough syrup when they're short
the $25 needed for a hit of Ecstasy. It has MDA in it, he says -- falsely --
as a woman looks on with a horrified expression. He taps the bottle's label:
See, cherry flavor. It tastes like candy. They like that. And just where
is Diaz getting this insider information on the hordes of Robitussin-
swilling ravers? Oh, we've done studies; there's lots of anecdotal
evidence, he answers confidently. We've got an epidemiologist right
outside you can talk to. As Diaz's eyes begin burning with the light
of a true believer, Kulchur carefully backs out of the tent and heads
for the rave candy. Scare tactics, uniformed soldiers, clueless social
workers -- hasn't anything changed since the failed Just Say No drug-
policy tactics of the Eighties? Actually times have changed, just not
in Miami. That was the message at the Third Annual Harm Reduction
Conference as 1100 physicians, health professionals, teachers,
scientists, and community activists from around the nation gathered
at downtown Miami's Wyndham Hotel from October 22 to October 25.
  Their shared philosophy is a pragmatic rejection of what conference
organizers term the prohibitionist-abstentionist model: We may not
like the idea of teens (or even premarital couples) having sex, but
instead of simply preaching abstention, we're also going to make
condoms available. We may not approve of people shooting heroin, but
rather than let the use of dirty needles continue to spread AIDS,
we're going to set up clean-needle exchange programs. Back in the
Nancy Reagan days, such a conference would have been unthinkable.
Prominent members of the medical and scientific establishment were
too intimidated by the threat of losing grant money, or of being
publicly stigmatized, to challenge the official orthodoxy of the
drug war. No more. The conference's four days featured freewheeling
and open discussion of a number of responses to both drug abuse and
the AIDS epidemic. Drawing special attention were the members present
from Dancesafe, a self-described nonprofit harm-reduction organization
promoting health and safety within the rave and nightclub community,
whose headquarters are in Oakland, California.
  One of Dancesafe's main activities has been the onsite testing of
Ecstasy at raves around the nation. By using a chemical reagent, Dancesafe
members can quickly determine if the pills in question truly contain MDMA
(actual Ecstasy) or are fakes filled with potentially lethal (and more
easily obtainable) adulterants such as DXM or PMA. Fake Ecstasy is rapidly
spreading as dealers attempt to cash in on the real drug's popularity;
indeed toxicology reports confirm that most of the fatalities
attributed to Ecstasy overdoses were in fact the result of PMA
(a legal stimulant that can cause seizures or cardiac arrest in
high doses) or DXM (found in cough suppressants and a potential
cause of heat stroke in high doses). Regardless of what Dancesafe
members discover from their testing, members of the group's thirteen
nationwide chapters do not seize pills. They say doing so would
discourage people from ever having the drugs tested.
  Their immediate goal is to prevent more PMA- or DXM-related deaths,
not to pass judgment. A controversial approach? To some. But not that he's
feeling deterred in the slightest. As soon as the conference ended, he was
off to the Midwest to help set up a new Dancesafe chapter.

[The previous article has been
edited for content and space.]
Brett Sokol
Miami Herald
---

Akron, Ohio

They're little red pills that send users on a trip similar to an
LSD high. They're cheap. They're easy for teen-agers to get. And
they're perfectly legal. Authorities say a growing number of teens
are abusing an over-the-counter medicine called Coricidin HPB Cold
and Cough.
  As many as 85 percent of the teen-agers undergoing treatment for
chemical dependency at Edwin Shaw Hospital for Rehabilitation in Lakemore
admit that they've abused Coricidin, said Kathryn Andreozzi, the hospital's
adolescent assessment counselor.As word of the drug spreads, Children's
Hospital Medical Center of Akron has treated teen-agers who were rushed
to the emergency room with Coricidin overdoses. The problem has gotten so
bad that some local drugstores have pulled the product from the shelves and
stashed it behind the pharmacy counter to keep it out of teen-agers' hands.
  ``There has been a new infatuation with Coricidin,'' said Dr. Chris
Van Devere, a child psychiatrist at Children's. ``It's kind of becoming
the drug of choice. We've been seeing in the past year or so a marked
increase. It's such an easy thing to try.''The active ingredient that
teen-age users are seeking is dextromethorphan, a narcotic derivative
commonly found in over- the-counter cough suppressants. The medicine
also contains an antihistamine.
  Experts say Coricidin still trails alcohol and marijuana in popularity
among teens. But the fact that the cold drug is legal, easy to get and
affordable -- typically $5 to $6 for a box of 16 tablets -- makes it
appealing, particularly to middle-class, suburban teen-agers. The discovery
of a box of Coricidin won't raise the suspicion of unknowing parents.
And users will pass urine drug tests.``If you find a Coricidin, it's
a cold medicine,'' Edwin Shaw's Andreozzi said. ``You don't think
of it as an illicit drug. There are so many kids getting into trouble with
it because nobody watches for it.''
  One 15-year-old Summit County girl who used Coricidin daily last summer
said she and her friends had no problem getting the drug. When they couldn't
buy it, they'd steal it. She often would swallow all the pills in a box,
wait a couple of hours, and then down another box to keep her trip going
through the next morning.``Everything gets kind of blurry, and it feels
like you're in a different state of mind,'' said the girl, who asked not
to be identified. ``You can feel your bones. You get all numb inside.
You get lightheaded. Your heart goes real fast.'' When taken at the
recommended doses, Coricidin is considered so safe that many doctors
and pharmacists recommend it for people with high blood pressure, a
condition that limits the cold remedies people can take.
  Taken in large amounts, however, it can cause serious problems,
including an accelerated heartbeat, high blood pressure, hallucinations,
slurred speech, sedation, tremors, seizures, temporary blindness, dilated
pupils, severe flushing or coma. Some Coricidin products also contain
acetaminophen, which can cause liver damage in excessive doses. Those who
are abusing Coricidin daily have reported taking an average of 51 tablets
per day, according to a study by the Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information
Center, which handles calls from this area. Teens who took it as a one-
time experiment took six to 23, the study said.
  ``There's a misconception that just because they're over-the-counter,
they're not potent,'' said Earl Siegel, co-director of the information
center. ``Over-the-counter things can be very dangerous in overdose.''
  In fact, several teens recently have shown up in the Children's Hospital
ER suffering hallucinations and having endangered themselves after taking
too much of the drug, said Dr. Maria Ramundo, a pediatric emergency
medicine physician at the hospital.``They do come in agitated,'' she said.
``They appear acutely psychotic. They can also be very jittery.'' The
15-year-old girl who regularly used Coricidin, or ``Core,'' as she calls
it, could feel no pain after taking large doses. One time, she put out
a cigarette on her arm. Another time, she let someone carve a name into her
leg.``I say that it's fun, but it's stupid,'' she said. ``You can be more
than what that is. You can be somebody better than that.''She said she
hasn't taken the drug since her friend had a bad trip earlier this year.
  ``She thought she was crying blood, and she wasn't,'' the girl recalled.
``I just tried to calm her down. I was about to call 911. I was that freaked
out.''
  A Juvenile Court judge recently ordered the girl and several of her
classmates into a treatment program after a school official found several
teens with the drug.
  Dextromethorphan abuse isn't new. For decades, teens seeking a
cheap buzz have downed over-the-counter cough syrups that contained
it. But the new fad is to pop Coricidin pills instead of drinking a
bottle or two of cough syrup, which often causes nausea.
  Each Coricidin pill contains 30 milligrams of dextromethorphan,
while most over-the-counter cough syrups have 15 milligrams or
less per teaspoon. The Internet, a vital source of information for
many teens, has many Web sites offering tips for abusing the drug,
which is commonly referred to as DXM. For example, one user writes:
  ``DXM is fun and easy to get so I recommend trying it if you want
to get bent and have some fun that's a lot harder than weed. Just
be careful with Coricidin because it can hurt you and/or make you
throw up (although I am always fine after a quick puke).''
  Some drugstores have responded by putting the product behind the
pharmacy counter and selling it only to adults who ask for it.
Discount Drug Mart, a Medina-based chain with more than 50 pharmacies
in Ohio, started keeping the drug behind the counter at all its stores
a couple of years ago after noticing a high number of thefts, said
Pete Ratycz, its director of pharmacy. But teen-agers are resourceful
when it comes to getting drugs, said Raynard Packard, a counselor in
the Akron Health Department's adolescent program. He urges parents to
look for signs of drug abuse, including discarded medicine packaging;
children who are disconnected from school and their peers; and
children with a flat expression or a glazed-over stare.``We always
encourage an open and honest dialogue,'' Packard said. ``Educate
your children, and stay aware.''

Posted 3/2002
Cheryl Powell (chpowell@thebeaconjournal.com)
Akron Beacon Journal
---

If you have any articles to contribute, please contact the editor.



DXM IN THE MEDIA - A MUCH DARKER SIDE
KNOWN RECREATIONAL DXM USE DEATHS
by Robert F. Golaszewski

Below are news reports about cases of death from recreational DXM use.
The first 3 I have no doubt are indeed such. (Note: In the case of the
first, I was the sole public reporter of this death as being from a DXM
overdose. The death certificate lists the cause of death as being "accident-
al" and due to "ingestion of a lethal amount of dextromethorphan". Thus,
officially it is listed as a recreational DXM use death.) With the second
death it should be noted this also involved concurrent abuse of the anti-
cholinergic chlorpheniramine maleate. The third involved an 18 year old
college student who was abusing Coricidin with two friends. Apparently he
freaked out and tried to jump out a window on the third floor of his dorm.
His friends, who were intoxicated on Coricidin also tried to restrain him.
While restraining him, they asphyxiated him. Apparently they were too wasted
to remember he needed to breathe. The fourth involves a case where somebody
reported that a person who used to post in the Usenet drug newsgroups
(augusta1313) had died of a DXM overdose. I have not been able to absolutely
confirm that this is true. However, based on all I do know, in my opinon it
is extremely likely that this person did die of a DXM overdose. The last one
I am including for completeness, but I seriously doubt that death was at all
DXM related. I am referring to the part: "Deputies became alarmed when they
learned of Adam's death and then recalled that a 15-year old boy who
commited suicide by hanging Nov.28 is believed to have been abusing Coricidin,
Shea said." That is all kinds of vague, with just "believed to..."; and no
reference that he was under the influence of DXM at the time of his death.
Most likely they have causation backwards with that case. Being depressed
led to drug use, and not the other way around. I include that here for
completeness only.
  I also know of a number of cases of near death that involved DXM use.
All of those involved Coricidin abuse. DXM + anticholinergics, taken at
recreational levels, is extremely dangerous. And doubly so when the
anticholinergic is also a 2D6 liver enzyme substrate which metabolizes DXM,
like chlorpheniramine maleate or diphenhydramine are. However, the first
death ("Ed") was due only to use of just DXM, and that is my understanding
was also the case with "augusta1313". Statistically, death from recreational
DXM use appears quite rare. DXM has been on the market since the 1960's, and
likely the number of people who have used it recreationally at least once
over all these years is at least 100,000 in my estimation. Of course, it
really sucks if you become one of the rare statistics. Thus, if you must use
DXM recreationally, please learn about the drug and its dangers, and take
appropriate precautions like having a sober trip sitter around.

The Sad Case of Ed

On November 14, 1999, an 18 year old Nevada man became the first known death
associated with the recreational use of the drug dextromethorphan (DXM.) The
cause of death was listed as accidental by the coroner, and not as a
suicide. He was known to post regularly at an Internet bulletin board about
his use of this drug as a psychedelic.
  This man posted frequently on the Internet about his use of DXM, under
names such as "Ed", "eds", "edso", or similar variations. The real name is
being withheld from this report at the request of a family member concerned
about privacy. Notably, "Ed" posted about DXM at a bulletin board located at
the website "The Third Plateau", owned by a person known as Greendrag, at
http://third-plateau.lycaeum.org. This bulletin board is moderated by me.
"Ed" frequently posted about his use of this drug, and at doses that are
very high even by recreational user standards.
  DXM is a drug commonly available in OTC medicines sold in the US, and
around the world, as a cough suppressant. At doses much higher than the
recommended dose, it is a psychedelic. It is in a class of drugs known as
dissociative anaesthetics. DXM, at high recreational doses, acts as a
powerful psychedelic. It causes hallucinations and altered states of
consciousness. A thorough description of these effects can be found on the
Internet at The DXM FAQ by William White, http://www.frognet.net/dxm. A more
brief description can be found at http://pages.prodigy.net/rfgdxm/dxm, a
Beginners Guide authored by this reporter.
  Unknown at this time is whether or not any other drugs may have been
involved in this death. The full data from the autopsy is not yet available
to this reporter, and has not been reviewed by any independent scientists
for full analysis. Although the official finding of the coroner was
"accidental death from ingestion of a lethal amount of dextromethorphan",
without knowing what toxicological tests were actually conducted, or their
results, some question remains as to whether other drugs may have
contributed to the death. While DXM was no doubt involved, it is possible
that other drugs played a part in the death. It is hoped that these results
will become available, and can be reviewed and analyzed by experts for their
validity. However at this time it seems highly likely that DXM played a
substantial role, and possibly the sole cause, of his death.
  "Ed" was found alone dead in his apartment by family members, according to
one of them. Such use of DXM alone, and at high doses, is considered to be
inadvisable by many of those familiar with the recreational use of the drug.
At such high doses, users are recommended to use a "trip sitter", who is
there to provide for first aid and call an ambulance if needed. "Ed" often
posted that at use of DXM at high doses (usually called "upper plateau" by
users of the drug), a trip sitter was unneeded. According to a family
member, "Ed" was not known to be at all depressed, or in any way to be
suicidal. Thus, it appears likely that this death was an accidental
recreational drug overdose, and the official finding is consistent with
this.
  "Ed" was an experienced and knowledgeable user of DXM. The doses he was
known to take were very high, even by standards of recreational users
(called "third plateau" and "fourth plateau"), and these are not far removed
from the known fatal human dose of DXM. Such high dose use may have been a
significant factor in his death.
  On a personal note, I am deeply saddened by the loss of "Ed". Although he
frequently argued with me on the bulletin board, I considered him a friend,
and we even exchanged a number of e-mails. Ed was very intelligent, had read
thoroughly about the use of this drug, and was very knowledgeable. This is
not a case of someone unfamiliar with the drug, its usual doses, or effects.
Even if one is an experienced, knowledgeable user, DXM is NOT by any means
safe. I have posted numerous times on the Internet over the last two years
about this drug, including frequent warnings of the dangers and needed
safety precautions. In particular, the reason that I am the one publicly
announcing this tragic news on an international medium (the Internet), is to
bring further awareness to all of the dangers of DXM to the Internet. I have
no desire to "sweep this under the rug" and try to ignore it. As far as I
know, this tragic death has not previously been publicly reported by any
news agency. The death in fact was brought to my attention by a family
member who posted at the Third Plateau Bulletin Board that DXM killed her
brother. Her concern was simply to warn others that DXM is not as safe as
some incorrectly believe. Had I not heard her plea for the truth to be
known, likely the connection of DXM to this death would not have been widely
known, The truth here DOES matter. Although scoffed at by some as just
another troll, I specifically posted that if there was evidence to prove
this, I would review it. After such was provided, and confirming this with
the coroner, I indeed found that in fact a death related to DXM use had
occurred. As someone who moderates a bulletin board available worldwide that
deals with the topic of recreational use of this drug, my desire is for the
truth to be known about it. My hope in calling this death to attention is to
serve as a warning to all who use DXM recreationally of the dangers that
they are risking. My desire in the past has been to prevent any deaths, and
my hope for the future is that this report will prevent any further ones
from happening.

Posted 11/14/1999
---

Vancouver, British Columbia

Investigators say a 13-year-old boy from Vancouver, Washington, may have
died after overdosing on over-the-counter cold medicine.
  Clark County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sergeant Steve Shea said Adam
Estrada was found dead in his bedroom early Thursday morning. An autopsy
was conducted, but results had not yet been released. Shea said empty pill
packets were found near Estrada's body. Authorities say the boy had been
taking Coricidin, which contains antihistamines that slow the body down.
  Doctors say the drug can give a feeling of being high, but taking too
much can be dangerous. School officials say the cold medicine is becoming
more popular with students.
  Estrada's father, Patrick, said he had talked to his son about the
medication but the boy swore he wasn't taking it. Investigators believe the
medication may also be linked to the suicide of a 15-year-old late last month.
  Shea said that boy's use of Coricidin and other drugs may have contributed
to his state of mind.

Posted 12/7/2000
---

Bellingham, Washington

  I have confirmed direct with the coroner specifically what the
recreationally abused over-the-counter cold medicine is that is mentioned in
the following press release by Western Washington University. I am reposting
that press release here. My news report based on that incident appears
afterwards.

  Whatcom County medical examiner Dr. Gary Goldfogel and Western
Washington University's chief of police James E. Shaw have released some
details of the circumstances surrounding the death early Sunday morning of
18-year-old freshman Joshua Davis of Oak Park, Ill.
  "This was a tragic loss," said Western's President Karen W. Morse. "Our
hearts go out to the family and friends. The University is doing everything
in its power to assist Josh's family in this time of terrible tragedy."
 Whatcom County medical examiner Dr. Gary Goldfogel said, "Preliminary
autopsy results indicate that an adverse reaction to recreational abuse of an
over-the-counter cold medicine complicated by marijuana use by Davis resulted
in acute, excited delirium. Intervention on the part of two friends who were
with him and a restraining struggle with pressure on the chest and neck led to
manual asphyxiation and death. In view of the circumstances, the manner of
death is certified as homicide."
  The University Police Department, with assistance from the Bellingham
Police Department, has conducted a very intensive investigation of this
incident, according to Shaw. "Review of the investigation reveals that the
intent of the friends' actions was only to protect their friend. It is
important to note that the fact of classification of homicide does not
require intent to harm," he stated.
  Shaw said that according to two friends who were with Davis early Sunday
morning, he suddenly became highly agitated and attempted to harm himself. An
intense physical struggle ensued during which Davis stopped breathing.
  University police are awaiting toxicology results before closing their
investigation.
  "Some very bad choices by young students led to a tragic series of events
that resulted in a student's death," said Bob Edie, vice president for
external affairs. "We share the grief of family and friends."
  University officials declined to identify the two friends because the
inquiry is still in process. In addition, while they are not on campus at
this time, the two friends are still classified as Western students.
University officials are, therefore, subject to privacy laws that place
strict limitations on the release of information about students.
  University police say there have been three student deaths on the Western
campus in the last three decades, the most recent in the mid-l980s.
  Counseling is being provided to students and residence hall staff through
Western's Counseling Center and the Dean of Students Office, according to
Eileen Coughlin, vice president for student affairs.
  "The Davis family has requested me to express their concern for their son's
two friends. In addition, the parents would like to express their appreciation
to the many students who have written cards and notes and to the Emergency
Medical Team and police," said Coughlin. "They hope that their son's death can
help educate students about the unpredictable nature of taking over-the-counter
medication for non-medicinal purposes."
  "We will strive to intensify our efforts to educate young people about the
grave risks of these behaviors," added Morse. Western has a model drug and
alcohol abuse prevention program, which is recognized as a national model. One
of the key elements is a group of 150 volunteer lifestyle advisors who counsel
their peers to avoid damaging behaviors related to drugs and alcohol and make
sound and healthy choices now and in the future.

My news report based on the above follows:

   This is a brief news report, as at this point I only have one relevant
fact to add. I just spoke with Whatcom County medical examiner Dr. Gary
Goldfogel by telephone about this death. He stated that the over-the-counter
cold medicine being recreationally abused which Joshua Davis had an adverse
reaction to, and was involved in his death, was Coricidin. This is now the
second death from recreational Coricidin abuse that I have been able to
confirm. The news report about the first recreational Coricidin abuse death
can be found in the "Known recreational DXM use deaths" section of my website
at http://www.rfgdxm.f2s.com. At my website is another news report where it is
mentioned a 15 year old boy committed suicide and that may have been related
to Coricidin abuse. Another death which involved only DXM (not Coricidin,
which contains 30 mg DXM combined with 4 mg of the anticholinergic drug
chlorpheniramine maleate) is also reported on my website. (Note: In the case
of this death involving only DXM, I was the sole public reporter of it as
being from a DXM overdose. The death certificate lists the cause of death as
being "accidental" and due to "ingestion of a lethal amount of
dextromethorphan". Thus, officially it is listed as a recreational DXM use
death.) There is a fifth possible DXM death that someone else reported also
mentioned on my website. Although I have not been able to confirm that, I
consider it highly probable that the person mentioned did indeed die of a DXM
overdose.

Another News Report:

A Western Washington University freshman suffocated to death when he was held
down by two friends who were attempting to restrain him after he had an
adverse reaction to a combination of over-the-counter cold medication and
marijuana, campus police said.
  Joshua Davis, 18, of Oak Park, Ill., who had been at the university for two
weeks, was found dead early Sunday morning in Delta, a residence hall that's
part of the Ridgeway Complex.
  Whatcom County Medical Examiner Gary Goldfogel said Davis ingested -- for
recreational use -- a number of tablets of Coricidin, an over-the-counter
antihistamine and cold medication, as well as marijuana. Goldfogel ruled the
death a homicide.
  Campus police will pass on the results of the investigation to the Whatcom
County Prosecutor's Office to determine if any charges connected to the death
would be filed.
  Coricidin, in large doses, can produce the same effects as narcotics,
Goldfogel said. The attempt at such a high is apparently increasing in
popularity. Goldfogel said he's talked with emergency room physicians who have
recently seen an increased incidence of adverse reactions such as Davis' that
result in psychotic episodes.
  Campus Police Chief Jim Shaw said Davis and the two other men in the room
took nine to 11 tablets of the cold medicine each.
  When Davis became delirious, he attempted several times to jump from the
dorm's third-floor window and eventually pulled the window from its hinges,
Shaw said.
  The two men in the room got into a struggle with Davis, with one suffering
a bloody nose as they attempted to restrain him, he said. Both men refused
medical attention at the scene and were cooperative with police, Shaw said.
  Davis was asphyxiated when one man had his hands around Davis' neck and
another was applying pressure to his chest while holding him to the floor,
Goldfogel said.
  There are conflicting reports about when the men called 911, but Shaw said
they called five to 10 minutes after the struggle ended.
  "Review of the investigation reveals that the intent of the friends'
actions was only to protect their friend," Shaw said.
  Campus representatives -- including University President Karen Morris, Vice
President of External Affairs Bob Edie and Vice President for Student Affairs
Eileen Coughlin -- held a press conference Thursday afternoon to detail the
events that led to Shaw's death.
  "Some very bad choices by young students led to a tragic series of events
that resulted in a student's death," Edie said. "We share the grief of family
and friends."
  University officials refused to identify the two men who were in the room
with Davis, but said they are currently not on campus and are between 18 and
20 years old.
  Coughlin said university officials have not yet discussed the men's future
at the university. Coughlin said the Davis family, which visited the campus
Wednesday, is concerned about the two men.
  "They hope that their son's death can help educate students about the
unpredictable nature of taking over-the-counter medication for nonmedicinal
purposes," Coughlin said.
  Counseling is still being provided for students at the university, she
said.

Posted 10/11/2001 & 10/12/2001
Bob Edie
Ericka Pizzillo (epizzill@bellingh.gannett.com)
Bellingham Herald
---

Clark County, Washington

Teen-agers in Clark County may be abusing over-the-counter cold pills to get
high, officials said, and a 13-year-old boy who was found dead in his
bedroom Thursday morning may have died of an overdose.
  Adam Dorris, a student at Frontier Middle School, was found dead in his
home east of Orchards, said the boy's stepfather, Patrick Estrada. Deputies
found an empty package of Coricidin-brand cold-medication pills in Adam's
room, Estrada said.
  "He took too many of those pills and overdosed on them," he added. "I
don't know where he got them. Spread the news and tell all the parents to be
checking for this drug."
  Brian Miller, an investigator for the Clark County Medical Examiner,
said experts hoped an autopsy Thursday night would reveal whether Adam died
of a cold-pill overdose. Results were unavailable late Thursday.
  "This is something new for us," said Miller, who added he was unaware of
any Clark County deaths so far this year officially attributed to such
overdoses.
  But Clark County Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Shea said he is discovering it's
the latest thing at the high schools.
  Deputies became alarmed when they learned of Adam's death and then
recalled that a 15-year-old boy who committed suicide by hanging Nov. 28 is
believed to have been abusing Coricidin, Shea said.
  Deputies believe the boy's use of Coricidin and other drugs may have
contributed to his state of mind, Shea said.
  Coricidin HBP is a cough and cold medication especially for those with
high blood pressure. It and some other brands contain a chemical called
dextromethorphan, also known as DXM and DM, that may cause problems.
  In a Web site apparently designed for Coricidin abusers, the bright-red
pills are referred to as "Skittles."
  Deputy Cindy Bull, the school resource officer at Heritage, said she
first heard talk of students abusing Coricidin last September. She said she
hasn't caught any Heritage students with the pills but has found students
acting strangely.
  "We've come in contact with kids obviously under the influence of a
substance," Bull said. "We just weren't sure what it was. Sometimes they are
very lethargic, groggy, their pupils very dilated. We've had some reports
they are confused and can't remember their name."
  Bull said she talked with a man about 19 who said he was introduced to
cold-pill abuse earlier this year in Seattle. He moved to Clark County and
told his friends including some high-school students about it.
  "It's apparently a widespread problem, but we didn't know about it until
recently," said Heritage Principal Nancy Bush-Lange. "Obviously, it has an
impact in the death of a student. We sent a letter to all our parents, and
we called some parents. Our counselors are going into every classroom next
week to talk about what's going on.
  "It's easily available. You can buy it or steal it. They think because
it's over-the-counter, you couldn't possibly be hurt by it. Our kids got a
real message," Bush-Lange said.
  At Evergreen School District, which includes both Frontier and Heritage,
spokeswoman Carol Fenstermacher said officials only recently heard of the
problem and plan to warn parents.
  "It seems like there's always something new that kids experiment with,"
Fenstermacher said. "This seems to be the new thing. . Our main concern now
is helping our students get through this."
  At Frontier Middle School, counselors will be available today, even
though school is not in session.
  Kris Shutt, public information officer for Vancouver School District,
said officials were aware of no incidents where students were reprimanded
for abusing cold pills.
  "Apparently kids are out there talking about it," Shutt said. "The
concern is they don't think it's harmful because it's a legal drug."
  It is difficult to judge how widespread the alleged cold-pill abuse is.
  Vancouver police Officer Patrick Johns said he first heard about teen
cold-pill abuse late last month when a security guard at the Fisher's
Landing Fred Meyer said young girls were shoplifting cold pills to get high.
  At Hudson's Bay High School, resource officer Steve Rhodes, who works
closely with students, said, "I really haven't heard anything about
over-the-counter medications being abused."
  Doug Keck, a data systems manager at the Washington Health Department in
Olympia, said DXM was listed on Washington death certificates 13 times
between 1989 and 1998, not as a sole cause of death but as a possible
contributing factor.
  While medications containing dextromethorphan are the subject of many
drug-abuse Web sites, some actually warn teens away from Coricidin. It's not
worth the pain and trouble, said several former users.
  One Web site noted what has happened to some ex-users while walking
through a pharmacy: They happened to see a box of Coricidin, and just the
sight of it made them throw up.

Posted 12/8/2000
John Branton
Tom Vogt
The Columbian
---

Robert F. Golaszewski can be reached at email@address.here



2012 - A DXM ODYSSEY
PART ONE - THE PHOTON-BELT ENCOUNTER
by Dr. Noel Huntley, Ph.D.; gravol

This article provides very important information to DXM users. I, myself,
have witnessed the information contained therein to be of great value to
anyone who uses DXM. To ignore it may prove to be a costly mistake. I would
not be so adept to these changes if it weren't for messages from a
Greater Reality being sent to me. These occurred both on and off DXM, most
of the time off - and the majority of people who have experienced the
visions I have do NOT use psychedelic drugs - it's just that, for me,
DXM proved to be a valuable shortcut in understanding certain universal
and cosmic principles.

The Golden Nebula

By means of satellite instrumentation, astronomers in 1961 discovered
what appeared to be an unusual nebula. We normally understand the
nebula phenomenon as a vast cloud-like mass of gas or dust. This one,
however, appeared to have anomalous properties and was named the
Golden Nebula. The public's attention was not drawn to this unusual
revelation until much later, presumably when it was realised that
this nebula's location was coincident with the projected orbit of
our solar system. Around the early 1980s a radio announcement in
the U.S. was made (heard by the author) that our solar system was,
in fact, going to collide with an 'electromagnetic cloud' in the not
too distant future. This incredibly important statement of astronomical
and historical significance was expressed in the usual casual and
indifferent manner as though of little consequence--just as was,
about that time, the announcement that the FDIC (bank-depositor's
insurance) was penniless! Follow-up data was then suppressed and
another government cover-up was contrived for the typical purpose
of exploiting where possible natural events to camouflage contrived
chaos.
  What is this electromagnetic cloud, this golden nebula, sometimes
referred to as the radiant nebula by ETs? Its more universal
designation is 'photon belt' or 'photon band', consisting of many
bands, and any encounter with this belt is recognised by extra-
terrestrials as of great import. It is in fact referred to by
more enlightened ETs as a 'planetary trouble shooter'.
  Let us outline the mechanics of this anticipated encounter of our
solar system with the photon belt. The whole universe is held
together by means of vortices within vortices of centripetal energy--
with their associated electromagnetic fields--like whirlpools on water,
within larger whirlpools (this is the machinery behind Einstein's
spacetime topology of general relativity). These spiralling energies
give rise to natural spacetime orbits: satellites around planets,
planets around stars, solar systems around other more major vortex
centres, and so on. Our planet Earth orbits the Sun once a year but
our solar system as a whole also traverses an orbit in this section
of the galaxy with a period of about 24,000 years.
  Thus our solar system, and therefore planet Earth, takes some 24,000
years to come back to its same point in this particular orbit. Picture
several star systems in a massive orbit, but now envisage overall a
toroid or doughnut-shaped cloud cutting across these orbiting star
systems. It is also described as an amoeba-like cloud of particles
but most of its frequencies are invisible. This is the photon belt,
or photon band. This means our solar system goes through the belt
twice each cycle of 24,000 years (that is, every half cycle). The
thickness of the photon cloud is such that technically it takes
about 2000 years for our solar system to pass through, and therefore
about 10,000 years between each encounter with this belt (2 x 10,000
plus 2 x 2000 = 24,000 years). Nevertheless, some sources state that
the period in the band could be much less: 25 to 37 years, depending
on man's resistance to change.

2012 - A Space Odyssey

When will this interaction occur? Scientists around the globe in 1992
predicted that the encounter would occur within months to a year;
with significant disagreements. A particular source of Pleiadian
extraterrestrials indicated that it would not occur until just after
2010 and that it was difficult to predict since the belt was
oscillating randomly. There have been in fact huge discrepancies
in channeled material regarding the date of this revelatory
occurrence, ranging from 1987 to 'definitely before the end of
this century' to 2003 and finally about 2011-2012. Other Pleiadians
tell us that our solar system skimmed the belt for a few days in
1987, then contacted it for over a week in the following year,
increasing the degree of entry each year, and then the Sun went
in fully in 1998. The information indicates that Earth does not
enter fully until 2012. At the present time we are being informed
that the Earth is in the belt (for the period December, 1998 and
June, 1999). The belt does, however, have an outer aura which we
enter first, and we are not expected to experience the full-blown
effects until 2012.
  [Editor's Note: In Dec. of 1998, the first photon belt encounter,
was when I first started experiencing 'messages' sent to me via
a set of synchronicital coincidences, centering around the 11:11
phenomenon. That is when I put out Issue 9 of the Zine and you can
see this energy I was experiencing through my own words in that
issue.]

Electromagnetic Energy

What does the photon belt consist of? What will be its effects on
the life on our planet, positive or negative? Also what is its
purpose, if any? The radio announcement used the term 'electro-
magnetic' to describe the phenomenon--this is the same as photon,
which is a particle of light or electromagnetic radiation.
  The photon belt is an immense region of space which is radiating
intense electromagnetic radiation throughout the visible spectrum
and beyond, into high-frequency invisible light; even including
some x-ray spectra. It is part of a magnetic flow of light throughout
the galaxy. Reference has already been made through the media to
huge increases in intensity of 'dangerous' radiation entering through
the holes in the ozone layer in certain regions of our planet.
Nevertheless it appears that for mankind on this planet the photon
belt encounter will be essentially a spiritual experience--but this
really depends on man. If we are sufficiently evolved at the time,
great advancements will occur in our consciousness as we attune to
the high-frequency photon rays. If we are negative, that is,
possess too many lower vibrations, the result of selfish actions,
we are not expected to survive the radiation. In other words, there
will be a natural spiritual selection. In the initial stages of
photon-belt encounter only sensitives will detect anything strange
but when we enter fully, even the most hardened individuals will
receive the full effects. Both great illumination of consciousness
will occur and great resistance to new ideas. The photon belt will
reduce the veil stopping us from seeing who we are. It will remove
some of the barriers around cells and DNA making them more reactive
or responsive to new energies. Psychological characteristics of
entering the belt are the effect of uprooting hidden, secret, or
withheld material, bringing it to the surface for transmutation.
This means psychological and physical disease patterns will be
forced to the surface, that is, the conscious mind. This will
give tremendous opportunity to make advancements but also where
there is too much to handle will cause illness, depressions,
disease and death.
  More advanced viewpoints see the photon band as a being, a
consciousness, which essentially has a 'personality' for change
and action. It presents opportunities for change on a planet by
adding new energies. It increases the flow of energy in the
magnetic grids of Earth, attracting new ideas and energies.
People will feel the need to transform but those who consider
this physical reality their only expression will dwindle into
greater fixations, blocks and negativity. Nevertheless it aids
eradication of a species' self-destructive tendencies, which might
mean wiping out the civilisation. Even the most dense person will
be accelerated into a higher state of consciousness, causing
possible havoc in their mind and body if they are not prepared.

The Effects on Earth

The effects on the Earth's body are expected to be quite dramatic.
The photon belt enables the planet to repair herself. She will,
for example, protect her oil. Too much is being drawn off by man
and cannot all be replaced--not dissimilar to drawing off man's
cerebral spinal fluid. Mother Earth will harden the crust under
the surface and pull in the oil, also gases, coal and ores, deeper
into the centre, shifting harmlessly also benevolent races into
protected regions. The photon belt will not apparently leave
until humans utilise surface resources only, including water.
  Scientists will find that sub-atomic particles will become more
evident and easier to detect. Electricity will be reduced and become
less available in the next 50 years--this represents an energy
depletion of the planet. Earth is taking on a new energy and
scientists must find new ways of working with it. They will even
give more attention to how love affects life and its chemistry.
New diseases will arise and abnormal heart rhythms for the
descending group but expansion of the heart for the ascending group.
  Other spectacular effects, some of a temporary nature, were
expected prior to the recognition that Earth intended to receive
the photon belt as gently as possible as our Sun system moves into
it. Earth is circling the Sun, thus it is alternatively ahead of the
Sun and behind in its linear translation towards the belt.
Consequently, either the Sun or our planet would enter first.
Scientifically it would have been impossible to predict which,
since, as stated, the photon belt is expanding and contracting
randomly. If the Sun reached the photon cloud before Earth it
had been channeled that darkness would ensue for about three to
five days. It would have been expected to be pitch dark with probable
cancellation of electrical power sources. If, however, Earth went
in first then the darkness would have been avoided.
  We were told by one source of ETs that as our planet enters the
bands, which would be at a relatively high velocity, we would
experience an immediate electric shock, lasting about one tenth
of a second, but not dangerous. This appears unlikely now as we
are moving in very gradually. Apparently it could have been
sufficiently sudden to destroy the civilisation and to heal the
planet quickly, but Earth requested a very gradual repair.
  Another spectacular feature given in earlier reports but not high-
lighted so much in the present ones, will be the effect of the
intense photon activity on matter. High excitation of atoms will
occur, causing fluorescence of all objects, and as a result there
will be no normal night time during the period of interaction.

The Ascension

The photon-belt encounter will play a significant role in the
(biblical) Transformation of man. Our interaction with it has been
referred to in channeling as the Christus. Moreover, the event is
supposed to be the true nature of the ascension or rapture, well
known in the prophecies of Christianity. The term 'Christus'
apparently expresses the Second Coming of Christ. (Christ is a
state of being/consciousness --some ETs refer to it as the
'Christ office'. Jesus was not Christ but he could attune to
this state--which in turn then paradoxically means he was.)
There will be a rebirthing of planet Earth. We are told it will
divide; each part retaining wholeness though, producing a
3rd density (frequency density) Earth and a 4th density Earth.
This will not be perceived physically; the planets will be in
different dimensions. One will be in a parallel universe relative
to the other. Earth has many parallel bodies: one around 3.0; we
are about 3.5, then 4.0 and 5.0, etc. (the 4th is apparently
relatively unoccupied except for some animals having left us
and are waiting).
  (Note that serious books on physics cover parallel-universe theories--
there is nothing particular weird or new about this. It has been
channeled that we sometimes move into parallel-universe planes and
back, which are sometimes virtually identical. A further example is
that an advanced civilisation exists in the centre of the Earth but
this particular civilisation is in a parallel plane which is reached
by entering 'electromagnetic' corridors near the openings at the
poles and certain other regions.)
  Possibly the only sad event will be that some families will be split
up by the natural spiritual selection of the photon-belt encounter.
Some individuals will go with the more evolved Earth, referred to as
4th density, and others with the 3rd density Earth, which could
permanently separate their evolution by several thousands of years
(in rare instances one person taking the more evolved path may
suspend progress to wait for the other).

The Great Cycles

Now the photon-belt cycle is synchronised with the end of a number
of greater cycles, for example, 225 million years (the Reptilian
cycle), 26,556 years (precession of the equinoxes), and 104,000
years (a prominent evolutionary peak after four cycles of 26,556
years), culminating in a harmonic convergence at about the time of
the encounter, 2012. It is also recognised that this point in time
coincides with the universe reaching its maximum point of expansion.
Synchronisation of such nodes would be expected to open up the
dimensional strata for the influx of new energy and the subsequent
changes.
  The photon cloud has a high density of electrons and positrons
(positive, anti-electrons). When an electron and a positron collide
they are annihilated and the mass is converted into radiation--
photons. The presence of these positrons, however, has been
predicted to interfere with electricity, of which the latter is
due to the flow of electrons. It has been indicated that before
this event occurs it would be possible to redesign the present
polarity system, giving a reversal of our polarity to compensate
for this problem (we haven't noticed any effect yet). The photon
energy as a result of the collision of electrons and positrons
will become a major source of free energy (and at this time the
NWO will be unable to suppress its use).
  According to channeled information, the Galactic Federation will
be aiding our transition during this photon-belt event. It is
stated that they altered (years ago) the basic polarity of the
Sun to allow it to maintain the integrity of the Sun's planetary
system. At a later time, however, NASA's space probe Ulysses
detected that the magnetic field of the Sun no longer has a
north and south pole! The Sun's magnetic field was found to
have changed dramatically into a homogeneous field. No scientific
explanation was given, and of course it has been withheld from the
public. Furthermore, the SOHO satellite more recently revealed that
the Sun responded abnormally to the impact of cosmic bodies causing
an eruption of some 30 to 35 solar flares, which is unprecedented.
(Note that unknown to present physics the Sun and planetary bodies,
etc. have powerful high-frequency electromagnetic fields which would
be expected to form the basis for the solar system integrity,
despite interference and jeopady from magnetic pole variations.)
  The photon-belt encounter is intended to be a positive experience
but only man with sufficient discipline to improve and elevate his
consciousness can ensure that the anticipated Golden Age will
manifest.



2012 - A DXM ODYSSEY
PART TWO - AN ANCIENT PUZZLE SOLVED
by Dr. John Grey, Ph.D.; Jose Arguelles

The Mayan civilization of Central America was and is the most
advanced in relation to time-science knowledge. Their main calendar
is the most accurate on the planet. It has never erred. They actually
have 22 calendars in total, covering the many timing cycles in the
Universe and Solar System. Some of these calendars are yet to be
revealed.

The Age of Aquarius

So what is it about 1998 to 2012? All the prophets of the past have
pointed to this time. The Indigenous People of the World, The Native
Americans (The Hopi & the Taos Pueblo), The Hopi - The White Brother/
Sister,The Zulu Tribe in Africa believes in the coming change.
The Mayan believes by the prophecy of their elders and the "Sixth Sun".
The Seventh Sun is coming. The Japanese with the prophecies of
"Amaterasu" returning to earth at this time. Nostradamus and his
predictions. Edgar Casey and his prophecies - probably he is the
most detailed and descriptive in his prophecies. He said there
would be a new earth pole in the winter of 1998. Even the United
Nations believes that within that period of time the earth will
double it's population, and most of the earth will die - a change
that the UN is trying to stop. The message of the Flower of Life
is that the "change" will happen during the next 15 years.
  And it should also be noted that the Age of Aquarius begins in
December of 2012 and the Age of Picses, which we are currently in,
will thus end.

The Quickening

There is a pulse coming from the centre of the galaxy (galactic core),
which has now been measured and discovered by astronomers to and is
known as the Photon Belt. There are also other sources of energies
entering our Solar System such as Cosmic and Gamma rays. The Solar
system itself follows a 26,000 year orbit around the galactic core
and we enter this "Photon Belt" of energies every 13,500 years.
Scientists are now measuring Pk readings that have increased six-
fold and we are also experiencing massively increased solar flare
and Coronal Mass Ejection Activity.
  This pulse, cosmic events and the entrance into a place of higher
consciousness and energy, is causing our Sun to expand and become
unstable. The increased solar emissions are absorbed by the Earth
creating severe weather; an increase in hurricanes, tornadoes, heat
and pressure through induction which is released later as an increase
in earthquake and volcanic activity. These alluvial energies are
actually levitating the plates and the change on all levels, often
referred to as "The Quickening" is HERE.
  These areas will undergo massive earth changes in the near future.
The smoke from these fires will be seen throughout much of the world.
The increase in UV rays is also causing the mutation in frogs, sala-
manders, fish and the overall transmutation of all life. (Scientists
have discovered massive evidence in the Cascade Mountain Range of UV
damage to frogs, salamanders and fish breeding in shallow water.
There is also evidence coming in from around the world concerning
this event.) La Nina is the Earth's attempt to balance herself with
the cold water from the melting of the poles. (10,000 miles of
iceshelf have disappeared last year alone, more than the last
15 years). This, by any means, does not mean the changes are over.
More severe weather and massive flooding in areas which once had
drought will be caused by a change in the jetstream. These changes
will continue.  

Looking To The Past To See The Future

These Grand cycles are well known throughout ancient history and
are recorded in India, Native American, Tibetan, Mayan, Egyptian,
and other cultures as well. These higher orbital energies creating
the CMEs and solar flares have a direct impact on Earth not only
physically but socially and economically. According to research
published by the Foundation for the Study of Cycles, sunspot activity
is directly related to historical events such as wars, epidemics and
mass changes in consciousness. (Latest discoveries have shown more
virulent airborne virus and bacteria on the rise.)
  Soviet scientist's research and Kirilian photography shows the
electromagnetic fields of the human aura flare in conjunction with
the solar flares and CMEs. This influx of energy creates a vibrational
lifting, excitability and jump in frequency. The Earth has its
electromagnetic fields as well and the base resonate frequency of
Earth has nearly doubled from 7 to 9 and jumped to 14 occasionally
in recent years. Just like resistance in a wire under electrical
current creates heat, the denser aspects of our self and the Earth
are heating up, vibrating faster, creating a release and change.
  The stormy personal relationships, business relationships and our
relationship to Earth and the Creator are also going through immense
change. There is a polarity created where some move into more exalted
states of Love, Joy and Bliss, a reunion with the creator, and others
take the downward spiral into fear, anger, separation and control
often blaming and projecting in emotional outbursts. In the latest
tests at Stanford, monkeys, when exposed to magnetic field
fluctuations, showed behaviour from comatose to self mutilation.
Our magnetic fields have been undergoing fluctuations as well. Do
we have to behave like monkeys? Well if we choose the monkey mind
often referred to as reactionary mind or the ego, yes. If we align
ourselves with love and compassion, divine mind, the answer is an
emphatic NO.

The Magnetic Significance

On a scale of 1 to 10 in field strength the Earth's magnetic fields
are now at around 1.5. This also increases the possibility of meteor
impacts with two large meteor showers scheduled in the near future.
This drop in field strength is often a precursor to a magnetic pole
shift. If we match the higher consciousness and energy flowing with
it releasing the lower vibrational attitudes and emotions, our
frequency will rise beyond the effects on the lower mental and
emotional levels.
  But what of the physical? There is a lot of discussion in these
areas. Some say consciousness creates reality and if I believe it
will not affect me, it won't. This is indeed ultimately true, yet
spiritual ego, attachment and denial sometimes elevate us far beyond
our present abilities. There are many teachers caught in this trap.
Although the raising of the Earth's frequency will lesson the severity
of upcoming social, economic and physical Earth changes, the key word
is CHANGE. There must be a change in consciousness and action according
to universal law for divine intervention to be granted. Who is to say
the Earth Changes are not divine intervention and an answer to the
prayer of millions? There is a little flaw in this theory as far as
physicality many teachers seem to miss. You have a physical body
which is subject to the physical changes and the laws of nature
unless you have mastered levitation or turned yourself into a light
principle. A good test of where you are at is to take a few steps
back from a great tree. Meditate and wish it away, say it doesn't
exist, it is an illusion. Now run real fast straight at it. This
will show a slight flaw in this theory and Nature, the tree, just
delivered a powerful lesson in humility. NOTE: "We are not to be
held liable or responsible for anyone foolish enough to attempt
this experiment. Trees, although they are 90% water, are quite
solid to the human body." Another easier test is to go to the
ocean and tell the waves to stop or the wind to cease.

Earth Changes

There will be places which will undergo severe change in Earth's
transition, a cleansing and healing process and it is best to remove
yourself without attachment and denial from these areas. The coasts,
major fault lines, low elevations along rivers and flood planes are
places where it would be wise to find a new location. It is time for
all to re-evaluate their lives, get their priorities and values in
order and replace separation and arrogance with a strong reverence
for Nature. Go out into Nature; sit upon the land and ask it if it
is safe to be there. You will feel it in your body. If there is
nowhere to go in your present environment to be with Nature chances
are your environment is going to change.

The Hopi Indians

The Hopi tradition talks about the fourth world now ending through
spiritual purification and moving into the fifth where Humanity must
make their spiritual connection, regain thei