Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Be aware of cough syrup abuse, parents told

From the Whitehorse (YT) Star:
Porter Creek Secondary School’s drug awareness co-ordinator is warning parents to watch for any over-the-counter medications their kids are bringing home.

Doug Green began his three-year contract for the Canines for Safer Schools program in September.

During an interview Tuesday, he said it’s become clear there are students who are using high doses of what’s known as DXM, or dextromthorphan (the active ingredient in many cough syrups and cold medications), to get high.

“It was one of the first things that hit my radar when I came up here and it wasn’t exclusive to this school,” he said.

Already, he’s spoken to two students about using DXM, but Green stressed it’s not exclusive to Porter Creek Secondary School or even Whitehorse.

It’s an issue in many regions as Internet forums and web pages have sprung up on the subject.

Many of the pro-use sites include suggestions on how much to use to get high given a person’s weight, but don’t point to the negative effects which come with the drug use. ...more

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