Cough medicine is being abused? That’s right. The medicine found in our bathrooms across America is a quick and easy source of getting high for teenagers. It’s cheap, readily available, and easily explained. "I’ve got a cough, Mom. Can we get some more of that cough medicine?"

What mother is going to question that request from her son or daughter? Nurturing naturally takes over and the mother instinctively wants to protect her offspring. She may even ask what kind or brand her teen wants. Talk about enabling. But the mother, being none the wiser, doesn’t look at it like that.

It’s time to get the truth out to parents about cough medicine and what harm it can do when teens abuse it.

What’s So Bad About Cough Medicine?

The biggest obstacle to curbing teen abuse of cough medicine is the prevailing, and mistaken, opinion that because it’s sold over the counter, it must be safe. Compared to illicit drugs like cocaine or heroin, cough medicine is a far lesser evil, to be sure. But that doesn’t mean it is safe. In fact, medications containing dextromethorphan, or DXM, are far from safe.

In recommended doses, DXM is considered safe. But teens looking to get high are using anything but recommended doses. DXM can cause rapid heartbeat, liver damage, involuntary muscle movements, seizures and even death. Surveys have shown that teen misuse nationwide is widespread, with as many as one in 10 teens reporting current or past abuse of cough medicine.

Overdosing, while rare, does occur in some instances, usually when used in combination with other illicit substances.

Why is cough medicine abuse so bad for teens, in particular? Teens do not have the same ability to assess risk and consequence as adults. The reason for that is that the part of the brain that processes risk, the frontal cortex, isn’t fully developed until the child is well into his or her mid-twenties.

Common street names for dextromethorphan that you may hear your teens use include Dex, DXM, robo, Orange Crush, Skittles, Triple-C and Red Devils.

There are over 100 medications that contain DXM. These include: Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough Medicine, Coricidin-HBP Cough and Cold, Dimetapp DM, Mucinex-DM, PediCare cough medicines, Robitussin cough products, Sudafed cough products, Theraflu cough products (Novartis), Triaminic cough products, Tylenol Cough and Tylenol Cold products, Vicks 44 Cough Relief products, and certain Vicks DayQuil and NyQuil LiquiCaps. There are also a number of store brands that contain dextromethorphan as well.

Specific Cough Medicine Warnings

Looking at the websites for some of these popular OTC cough medicines, it’s easy enough for parents to become educated about the dangers of teen abuse.

Vicks

Vicks, the manufacturer of NyQuil, has a section on its website about the dangers of teenage drug abuse (http://www.vicks.com/products/safety-information/child-teen-safety/teenage-drug-abuse/). Along with a recommendation for parents to maintain a good child-parent relationship as a first step in preventing medicine abuse, Vicks also urges parents to:

• Monitor all OTC drugs in the house and keep track of exactly how much medicine is in each bottle.
• Avoid overstocking OTC medications in the house.
• Not allow their teens to keep OTC drugs in their bedroom, school locker, car or backpack.
• Monitor teens’ Internet usage to make sure the child isn’t visiting sites promoting OTC drug abuse. There are literally hundreds of web sites devoted to promoting the abuse of DXM, including instructions on how much to take for different types of highs.
• Act as a role model by responsible use of OTC drugs and all prescription medications.

Novartis

Novartis, the manufacturer of Theraflu cough products, lists these OTC cough medicines that contain dextromethorphan:

• Theraflu Daytime Severe Cold & Cough Hot Liquid
• Theraflu Cold & Cough Hot Liquid
• Theraflu Warming Relief Daytime Severe Cold & Cough
• Theraflu Daytime Warming Relief Multi-Symptom Cold Caplets
• Theraflu Nighttime Warming Relief Multi-Symptom Cold Caplets
• Theraflu Max-D Severe Cold & Flu

Children are spending more than eight hours daily playing with these types of gadgets or they are watching TV because both parents are typically working. Over 2,500 children were surveyed in 10 major Indian cities such as Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai. The majority of children interviewed said they got less than 8 hours of sleep and were aged 10 to 18 years old. Researchers found that because the children lacked supervision by their parents, they tended to become technology-addicted in their free time.

New technologies that provide these types of social networking sites are keeping children engaged with their friends 24/7. Single-parent households were better off in terms of healthier technology habits. Households where both parents worked certainly had the disadvantage because the lack of supervision led to increased addictions with technological gadgets. The trend was highest in the metropolitan cities where both parents worked outside the home. With smart phones offering all the social networking sites available, the teenagers are excessively using them to constantly engage in conversations and chats with their friends making them more fatigued and restless.

This is a growing and disturbing trend among our teenagers and parents need to be more aware of how much time their children are using such devices and find a way to monitor it for the sake of their health.

Alcohol is usually plentiful at holidays and parents are so distracted by dinner prep and houseguests that when combined with older siblings who have friends in college over, can be distracting. Catherine LeVasseur, a coordinator for drug and alcohol education in Madisun, says parents need to start thinking about how to talk with children about alcohol. She recommends a free guide from the governor that can be downloaded and is a partnership for parents to help bring alcohol awareness.

According to a recent article, it’s a tough time for college freshman because this is often the first time home since leaving for college and a chance to gather with old friends, said LeVasseur. She stresses that at this time of the year parents need to emphasize the laws of social hosting and the consequences that surround it.

LaVasseur reiterates the importance for both youth and parents to realize that it is illegal to allow minors to drink or be in possession of alcohol on their property and they can be charged. She adds that parents should talk to their kids about the serious nature of drinking illegally and set very understandable rules.

Plan ahead for Thanksgiving weekend activities including Wednesday evening and educate them about the laws. Know where your children are at all times and offer a safe alternative by hosting a party yourself where you can keep track of exactly what is going on.

LaVasseur says there are common misconceptions about alcohol and that allowing underage minors to drink is completely different than providing alcohol for them, which has always been a felony charge.

But can music itself get teens high? Some experts say yes. Known as sonic drugs, or i-dosing, some websites claim that listening to a specific type of sound can make someone feel high. Users choose from a menu of single drugs or “packs,” which range from a few dollars to almost $200. Sonic drug options include marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, hallucinogens and prescription drugs.

An i-dosing session consists of two slightly different static-like tones played in both ears at the same time. After a few minutes of i-dosing, users reportedly feel a high similar to recreational drugs, or at least some degree of light-headedness and mild euphoria. Thousands of users have posted videos online documenting their sonic drug experiences, most of which seem characterized by confusion.

Sonic drugs, or sound therapy, are purportedly effective in treating anxiety and boosting mental faculties, though skeptics question their effectiveness. Even if sonic drugs are not harmful or all that effective in getting teens the high they seek, a number of addiction experts raise a bigger concern: Teens who are curious enough to experiment with i-dosing are likely going to graduate to real drugs sooner or later.

Research shows that sonic drugs do have an effect on the brain, alternating between calming and exciting brain waves.  Although short- and long-term effects of sonic drugs aren’t fully understood, experts warn that anything that impacts children and teenagers’ developing brains could be dangerous.

As with all drugs, experts advise parents to speak with their children openly and frequently about the new drug dangers they may face in school and among their peers.  If a teen is tempted to try sonic drugs, it’s time to talk more seriously about all types of teen drug abuse and the associated risks.

If that’s the response you get from your teenagers when you try to enlighten them about the dangers of drug abuse, congratulations, you’re on the right track!

Sure, you hope your teen’s friends are good influences; you hope that their favorite songs and TV shows address difficult topics in appropriate ways; you trust your teen to learn from the mistakes of celebrities they idolize. But research shows that none of these influences are as powerful as an informed, involved parent.

Studies show that teens who learn about the risks of alcohol and other drugs from their parents are up to 50 percent less likely to use drugs than those who do not. Unfortunately, many teens know more about this generation’s problem drugs, namely prescription and over-the-counter medications, than their parents.

What You Can Do

As a parent, you hold the key to protecting your teen from prescription drug abuse:

• Talk and listen – start early, repeat often.
• Stay involved in your child’s day-to-day life, including school, friends and activities. Teens who report feeling loved and supported by their parents are less likely to use drugs and engage in other risky behaviors.
• Make your stance on drug use clear.
• Set high, but reasonable expectations of your child.
• Enforce limits.
• Encourage your teen to participate in sports and extracurricular activities.
• Nurture your teen’s relationships with positive mentors, including teachers, grandparents, coaches and religious leaders.
• Be a role model by refraining from illicit drug use and using alcohol and prescription medications responsibly.
• Get help if you or someone you care about has a drug problem.

Be Part of the Movement

The momentum on the topic of teen prescription drug abuse is building. Are you part of the movement?

More parents are aware of the dangers of prescription drug abuse and they’re sharing that knowledge with their teens. Now take the next step and educate others about this growing epidemic. Take the "I’ve locked the cabinet” pledge and encourage family and friends to protect our teenagers from the dangers lurking in our medicine cabinets.

In Detroit, teens are reportedly getting drunk on “boozy bears” – gummi bears, worms and other gelatin-packed creatures that look harmless to parents, teachers and law enforcement, but have soaked in vodka overnight. The candy absorbs the vodka, a colorless and relatively odorless favorite among teens, and can get teens drunk with just a few handfuls.

Officials are concerned about the trend, noting that:

• Teens can’t be sure of how much alcohol they’re consuming.
• Concerned adults have to taste the candy to determine whether it’s laced with alcohol, allowing this form of teen substance abuse to go largely undetected.
• Because the taste of alcohol is overshadowed by the sugary candy, teens may consume a large amount in a short period of time without realizing the full effect of the alcohol.
• Teens are finding information and how-to videos online (some with over 10,000 views), giving the problem an even broader reach.

Drunk gummy bears aren’t the only worrisome drug trend. Another growing teen drug problem, first reported in Idaho and Wyoming, is called Dragonfly (the street name for 4-ethyl-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine, or 2C-E). Also known as Europa, the drug is a synthetic hallucinogen that has similar effects as LSD, including mild hallucinations, increased body temperature and synesthesia (sight mingling with taste, sound and touch).

Dragonfly comes in powder form, often contained in unmarked blue or white capsules. The effects begin within an hour if taken orally and within minutes if snorted and last six to 12 hours.

Like bath salts and other synthetic drugs, the drug has not yet been regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and teens are purchasing it legally online. It has sent four teens to the emergency room so far this year.

Wherever you are in the country, it is likely that your teen has heard of Dragonfly and drunk gummi bears. Now that you know of the risks, it’s up to you to talk to your teen, make your rules and expectations clear, and offer your teen the support they need to avoid this new wave of teen drug abuse.

A new form of tobacco is in fashion, however. Kids are now playing cool with hookah smoking, in which a smoker uses a water pipe to deliver tobacco smoke to his lungs. A new study sought to explore the use of hookah among high school students and the attitudes that high school students have towards its use (Smith, et al., 2011).

The researchers recruited students from three high schools in the San Diego area, focusing on juniors and seniors. A total of 689 students were surveyed out of a potential total of 691 students.

The students were asked to complete a questionnaire that asked them about hookah use and cigarette use. They were also asked questions about the perceived danger of hookah, along with its social acceptability among their peers and the acceptability of chewing tobacco, cigars and cigarettes.

The researchers found that 83 percent of the students were familiar with the concept of a hookah or water pipe, even if they had only heard of the device. More than one-quarter of the students surveyed had tried smoking with a hookah and 10.9 percent reported that they had used a hookah in the past 30 days.

More than a quarter of the students (38 percent) said that they had tried smoking cigarettes and 11 percent reported having smoked cigarettes in the past month. Those who used hookah were significantly more likely to have tried cigarettes or to be smokers than those who had never used a hookah.

Nearly 60 percent of the students surveyed believed that hookah was more socially acceptable than other types of tobacco use, including cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco. Nearly half of the students thought that hookah was a safer choice than other forms of tobacco.

The authors report that there are limitations on the results, such as the use of self-report and a cross-sectional design. In addition, the study focuses on a limited geographical area and the results may not be generalizable for the general population.

The results of the study indicate that high school students are generally aware of hookah use and many have tried it. The popular belief that hookah is a safer form of tobacco use is troubling, because previous research has shown it to be a more dangerous form of tobacco use, delivering more smoke into the lungs than some other forms. The study’s findings may act as a springboard for more education in high schools about the dangers of hookah use.

Published in Sexuality & Culture, study authors from Utah’s Brigham Young University want parents and professional educators to know that their findings suggest a link between sexual lyrics and teen beliefs and behaviors toward sex. The authors’ findings fall into alignment with previous studies stating there’s a strong connection between exposing teens to sexual content on TV, in movies and through music and their sexual behaviors.

Not only do certain types of sexual lyrics seem to impact teen behaviors, according to a recent Medical News Today article, they also impact the way teens think about their peers’ sexual activity. Researchers believe the lyrics may lead teens to believe their peers are more highly involved in sexual behaviors, contributing to the strong effect of peer pressure to also become more involved in sex.

For girls, sexually charged song lyrics can also contribute to low self-esteem, a decline in body acceptance and a potentially higher risk of eating disorders, as well as problems with drug and alcohol use. They may also be more likely to experiment sexually or view themselves as a sexual object. Males may respond to sexual lyrics with aggressive behaviors toward women.

The connection between sexually themed music and teen behaviors has also gained strength by the sheer quantity of music teens and grade-schoolers are listening to. Studies suggest their usage of personal music players has grown by 45 percent in recent years.

A new report puts a name to the uneasiness surrounding new technology. A study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has shown that 12- to 17-year-olds were more likely to report substance abuse if they had experienced exposure to images of related activities on social networking sites or if they saw similar images on shows like "Jersey Shore," "Teen Mom," "16 and Pregnant," "Skins," or "Gossip Girl."

The study reports that American teenagers who spend time on Facebook, Myspace or other similar social networking sites are five times more likely to use tobacco, three times more likely to consume alcohol and twice as likely to use marijuana.

While the study does not attempt to establish causality between social networking and substance abuse, it does show an association between the two behaviors. The results provide evidence that there is a connection between social networking and the risk of a teen engaging in substance abuse.

In addition to substance abuse, research has shown that teens who spend time on social networking sites are more likely to be victims of cyber-bullying and are more likely to view images of other teens getting drunk or using drugs, when compared to teens who are not active on social networking sites.

The research is based on surveys from 2,043 parents and 528 teenagers conducted in March, April and May. The results showed that 70 percent of the teens surveyed spent time social networking on a typical day. Of the total teens surveyed, 40 percent had viewed photos of other kids "drunk, passed out or using drugs." The survey showed that half of the teens were 13 years old or younger when the images were viewed.

Joseph Califano, Jr., chairman and founder of the center, said that while the study reinforces the power of images, parents should use their influence to impact their children’s decisions about substance use. Califano recommended that parents be involved and monitor their children’s use of Facebook, but also urged that parents should engage in the lives of their teens.

While Facebook may be a significant part of teens’ lives, parents should generally be involved in knowing who their children’s friends are and how they spend their free time. A parent should not underestimate the role they can play in how their child makes decisions about substance use. Parents play a more significant role than any other person or influence in their child’s life, urges Califano.

For teens and even pre-teens, sexual addiction can begin at a young age by accidentally (or intentionally) viewing a sexual website online. Thousands of unmonitored pornography Web pages and cell phone apps for quick access anywhere are cited as factors behind a growing number of teenagers with addictions to pornography or sex.

Prior to smartphone technology and an explosion of pornography sites online, teens were more hampered in accessing sexual materials. Purchasing a pornographic magazine or renting a video required an I.D. and the willingness to show one’s face during the transaction. Today, warn experts, the extreme ease of accessibility to pornography is affecting more and more teens in destructive and addictive ways.

For many teens who become addicted to pornography online or sex sites on the Web, the sites become a tool for escaping stress, low self-esteem or problems with making close friendships. Interviews with teens, including from a recent My FOX Phoenix report, say that they’re going to the porn sites online or via their cell phones to escape boredom and for recreation. But the habit quickly becomes something they can’t control or stop on their own. For adults who are addicted to pornography online or who have sexual addictions, the symptoms are very similar.

One reason, say interviewees, is that there’s no end to the availability of pornographic sites online. New sites are formed hourly, and the supply of images never ceases. The report also addresses the ability to create a fantasy identity that sets online porn apart from the ways people accessed the materials in the past. All these factors make it easier for teens with intimacy problems to escape the need for real-life relationships and to continue accessing sexual materials online.