Many teens have found their entrance to drug abuse through the misuse of cough medicines. The chemical compound dextromethorphan (DXM), is found in most over the counter cough medications (whether in liquid orpill form), and can produce a “high” that can be deadly. Terms such as Robo tripping, skittling, DXM tripping, all refer to the same thing, an excessiveof cough medications. Skittling, is describing the misuse of the little round, usually red pills which resemble Skittles candy. “When “on a trip,” some users describe different “plateaus” ranging from mild distortions of color and sound to visual hallucinations, “out-of-body” dissociative sensations, and loss of motor control, along with other side effects such as confusion, dizziness, double or blurred vision, slurred speech, impaired physical coordination, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, rapid heart beat, drowsiness, numbness of fingers and toes, and disorientation. One DXM trip can be different from the next….” *
There is a group called Five Moms that began in 2007, when five moms from different backgrounds got together to fight the misuse of cough medicines. They have reached over 24 million parents with their message in 2 years. Dr. Drew Pinsky has joined with the Five Moms campaign to further educate parents and state legislators, about the dangers of cough medicine abuse.
* from literature from The Partnership For A Drug- Free America
