EmpoweringParents.com

When we were stuck in the muck of substance abuse, anger, belligerence and failed probation with our son, I didn’t know where to turn.  Other parents who were also struggling didn’t want to share. There didn’t seem to be a clearinghouse of information or resources, yet I knew there had to be help and information available. But where?  Luckily, there are professionals who can guide you through the process of finding a program to help your child and provide relief to you.

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Next week our son Matt will graduate from college.

I couldn’t think of a more magnificent gift during this season. It reflects the hope and joy that all parents of struggling teens pray and yearn for, but don’t believe will ever come. I know. I was in that place.

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“Pharming”, or the abuse of prescription drugs, is on the rise amongst 12 to 17-year-olds.

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If you think your child hasn’t tried Robotripping, you might want to read this.

Last week, a mom wrote to us with this story:

I’m not sure if you are aware of this recent  trend of kids drinking Robitussin, but I found out about it by accident from my 16-year old daughter, who lives with her Dad.  She got mixed up with a 19-year old freak who drinks whole entire bottles of Robitussin to get high. Also, I don’t understand the reason behind this, but they sometimes combine Robitussin, Jolly Ranchers, and some kind of clear pop like Sprite or 7-Up to make a “cocktail.”

My daughter said she will never do this again, because it made her so sick she was vomiting on & off for 3 days. Do you have any recent reports or info regarding students under the age of 18 using Robitussin to get high? This is the first I have heard about it.

–Southwest Mom

To be honest, I’d heard murmurs about this trend, but didn’t realize how widespread it has gotten. When I was in high school, I remember a kid named Mike who drank Scope and cough syrup between classes. Everyone knew he was doing it, but nobody else joined in. In fact, I remember feeling a little sorry for him. Well, times have changed. I dug around on the Internet and found out that “Robotripping,” as it’s now called, is hugely popular with kids aged 9-17.  Basically, it involves consuming large amounts of Robitussin or other cough syrups containing DXM until you get high–apparently, when you drink enough of it, it has a hallucinogenic effect. Coricidin, or “doing Skittles” is also a popular abuse of an OTC drug. (In 2006, 1 in 10 teens admitted to abusing the medicine to get high.) There are even whole websites devoted to making up tasty cocktails with cold medicines, complete with little charts that show you how much you need to drink in order to get wasted. Kids feel like it’s safe to do this becaues these are medicines found in their parents’ bathrooms, but sadly, some have actually overdosed and died from Robotripping.

Does anyone else have more information on this, or on other OTC drugs that kids are abusing? (I’m including a link here to the Mayo Clinic website, where a doctor describes what you should look for if you suspect your child is Robotripping.)

If you hear your kids talking about “420″ (pronounced “four-twenty”) prick up your ears–they may be referring to the annual pot-smoking “holiday” on April 20th.

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