TEEN COUGH MEDICINE ABUSE
Every year, millions of Americans use OTC products to safely and effectively relieve
coughs due to the common cold or flu. The ingredient used in these products is called
dextromethorphan (DXM). DXM is found in over 100 brand-name and store-brand over-the-counter
cough medicines. When abused in extreme amounts, DXM can be dangerous. A recent
report indicated that 1 in 10 teens have abused cough medicine to get high.
Parents are encouraged to control the access to all the products containing dextromethorphan.
It’s important to identify all the products in the home that contain dextromethorphan,
then closely monitor the quantities to identify possible abuse.
Because of the number of “multi-symptom” products that contain DXM, it can be a
challenge for parents to monitor all of them. SymptomPak™ provides the easiest
way to monitor DXM in the home by providing a single bottle of DXM that can be kept
separate.