Last year, the ANSM (National Medicines Agency) called on healthcare professionals to be vigilant when issuing Syrup against cough containing opiates because some teens and young adults used them to get drunk.
Purple drank: mixture of syrup and soda to get high
Today, the fashion is for cocktails made with syrups (called purple drank, or cocktail violet, in French) and this phenomenon worries pharmacists because the effects of these drugs can be serious.
The principle: use cough syrups containing either codeine which de-distresses and disinhibits, or estromethorphan (DXM) which has hallucinogenic priorities when taken in large doses. The young people mix them to “get high” with anti-allergic drugs, soda and ice cubes. Occasionally, alcohol and cannabis are also part of the game to multiply the effects.
This new trend was started by American rappers. In high doses, these drinks reduce the stress, induce euphoria and hallucinate.
Hospitalization cases reported since 2014
If several cases of hospitalization have been reported since the beginning of 2014, this practice does not seem widespread in France for the moment. However, the National Order of Pharmacists has just sent instructions to pharmacies if they notice that adolescents come to buy large quantities of syrup when they appear to be in good health.
“Most often, they are young people aged 16 to 20,” explains Martial Fraysse, president of the Ile-de-France regional council of the Order of Pharmacists. When I ask to describe the symptoms to get the hang of it net and that I have in front of me a young man who is trying to cough, I am not fooled. “
Purple drank: serious side effects
Adverse effects, such as vomiting, convulsions, severe drowsiness or speech disorders should slow the spread of this drink in France.
Purple drank is also highly addictive and there is a risk of death for the consumer if more than 2,500 mg of DXM is taken. In the United States, two rappers died after overconsumption of the cocktail.
Read also :
– Europe bans codeine for children under 12
– Cannabis: adolescent consumption on the rise for the first time in 11 years
