Prescription drug abuse forum

By Shavonne Potts

spotts@salisburypost.com

Rapper Lil Wayne calls it his favorite drink. Others call it purple stuff, sippin' syrup, sizzurp or purple drank.

The drink is not what one might think. It's actually what some teens are abusing: the combination of promethazine and codeine, a prescription cough syrup.

Promethazine is used to make antihistamines and used in conjunction with codeine to suppress coughing.

The purple color comes from the dyes in the cough syrup. It makes the user feel "relaxed" or "sleepy."

It's just one of the many prescription drugs law enforcement experts say teens are abusing — which in its intended form, may not be harmful.

About 30 people including parents, law enforcement, county and city officials, social workers and probation officers heard about the above drug and others Friday in a community round table held at the Rowan Public Library. The topic was "Prescription Drug Abuse and Our Kids."

The topic was a concern identified by the Community Child Protection Team. It is an issue affecting communities across all counties, Social Services Director Sandra Wilkes said.

The forum was set up as a way to bring awareness to the issue and hopefully come up with some ways to resolve the problem.

Retired Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police detective Ernest Kirchin spoke to the group about why teens abuse prescription drugs, ways to address the problem and what teens say about drugs.

"Prescription drug abuse is second behind marijuana," Kirchin told the group.

In addition, one-in-11 teens has admitted to getting high on over-the-counter cough medicine.

One of the top reasons teens abuse prescription drugs is they believe the drugs are less dangerous than illegal ones. In fact, 41 percent of teens believe they are less harmful.

The other reason is the ease of access. Teens obtain these drugs from their friends or fellow students, parents or other relatives.

The drugs are cheap and the abuse is not easily detected.

Unlike drugs such as methamphetamines or cocaine, the makeup of the prescription drug is consistent. Different people make meth or cocaine and the potentcy is different for each. A prescription drug's potency is pretty much the same everywhere.

Kirchin is the vice president of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators of the Carolinas, a national organization that deals with pharmaceutical abuse and investigations.

When Kirchin talks to groups about prescription drugs, sometimes teens are in the audience. They tell him parents don't discuss alcohol or drugs with them.

One in five teens report their parents have never talked to them about drugs or alcohol.

Those parents who do talk to their children may be interested to know that children are 50 percent less likely to use drugs when parents talk to them, Kirchin said.

Some parents don't see prescription medications as dangerous, said Kirchin. In fact, some provide their children with these medications.

Of the young children Kirchin encounters, most believe cigarettes are the most dangerous drug out there. He gives them a random list of drugs and asks them to rank them as most dangerous to least dangerous. Young children place cigarettes at the top, while many college students rank heroin or meth up there.

Prescription medications are becoming the drug of choice among teens and college students, and with dangerous effects.

College students use stimulants such as Adderall or Ritalin to keep them awake, help them study and lose weight.

Kirchin said teens use drugs to look cool, escape from life or relax and wind down. Their friends use them and it's done at parties.

"Even being 29 years in law enforcement, there's something new every day," Kirchin said of types of drugs.

Some teens use heroin and Tylenol PM in what is called cheese.

Another drug used for a common cold, Coricidin, is called Triple C by many. The reason, Kirchin explained, is because the medicine is labeled Coricidin Cough & Cold.

Kirchin said he's looked down drugstore aisles to see how many Coricidin boxes are on the shelves and has found empty boxes.

People are stealing the pills and leaving behind the boxes, he said.

Kirchin said ways to address the problem include educating youth and parents about the dangers, encouraging communication between parents and children and increasing safeguards to medications.

There are programs like Operation Medicine Cabinet available that will dispose of prescription medications. Acting Sheriff Kevin Auten said the Sheriff's Office is planning such an event in April.

Auten echoed Kirchin, saying education is definitely key.

"We need to educate our parents and children. There's far more deaths from prescription drugs than cocaine," he said.

Auten, who is chair of the social services subcommittee established to address the prescription drug abuse problem, said he hopes the committee can meet in the near future to discuss solutions.

Kirchin also provided the following Web sites parents may find helpful:

- www.clubdrugs.org

- www.drugfreeamerica .com- www.streetdrugs.org

- www.theantidrug.com.