Narconon of Georgia  

Over the last few weeks Narconon of Georgia has received more reports of cold medicine abuse.  This warning is again being re-issued.

Have a winter cold?

Be careful.  That over-the-counter cold medicine you have in your medicine cabinet may have some Dextromethorphan (DXM) in it and DXM can make a person high.  You may not know about DXM, but most drug abusers do, so check your medicine cabinet.

DXM can produce a high similar to LSD; including hallucinations, vivid dreams, loss of motor control and "out of body" states.  This high is described as “robo tripping” by DXM users.  It takes an overdose of DXM to produce a high and this overdose can also cause health problems like rapid heart beat, high blood pressure, kidney damage, liver damage, seizures and even death.   This drug is easy to get and emergency rooms are reporting waves of young people who are overdosing on it.  Estimates are that over two million teens in the United States have abused DXM products to get high.  Often, these teens are finding information about DXM on the internet and then find that it is all too easy to buy DXM products at the local drug store.

At Narconon, we have first hand accounts from clients who abused this drug in the past.  One reported that the most popular drug containing DXM seemed to leap into his pocket when he was in the drug store. Another told a staff member that he has never quite returned to normal after his extensive abuse of the drug.  One client describes how he forfeited a football scholarship due to years of DXM abuse and “robo tripping”.

It is sometimes difficult to tell if someone is abusing an over-the-counter medication containing DXM.   Be alert if the person is acting stoned but there is no tell-tale smell.  This is a key sign.  Other symptoms are:

1. Dilated pupils;
2. Confusion;
3. Slurred Speech;
4. Dizziness;
5. Loss of coordination.

DXM is found in over 140 products.  Look for those products that say "DM" or "Tuss".

Don't leave it to law enforcement to solve this problem.  Drugs with DXM can be bought and consumed in large amounts without any laws being broken.  Be alert for theft when you are in a drug store with an abuser or if you work in a retail facility that sells cold medication.

The best defense against this drug is education.  The dangers are real and probably unknown to any would-be- user.  This is one of the most dangerous ways to get high and unfortunately the most available.  Anyone about to take this stuff for fun needs to know it could kill them.     Let’s pass the word.

Mary Rieser  CCDC

Executive Director

Narconon of Georgia 

narcononhelp@yahoo.com) with questions or visit our web site http://rm.resultsmail.com/route.cfm?mid=232103c0-5e85-491f-a276-b44e3815d277&uid=b6f268a9-bae6-437b-aec5-00dae97f33df&route=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edrugsno%2Ecom

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