The teen years are a time of experimentation, of trying your wings and testing limits. Most of us escape unscathed, but today’s teens are experimenting with more dangerous substances while taking lightly the potential – and long-term — harm they could cause. A drink called “sizzurp” (a play on the word “syrup”) is just one of the latest ways they’re getting high.
What is sizzurp?
A potent combination of soda, candy and prescription cough syrup with codeine often called “purple drank” or “lean”.
The goofy sounding beverage is a concoction made by combining soda, candy and prescription cough syrup with codeine. It may sound silly, but it can lead to seizures or even death. That hasn’t prevented teens from using the strange brew for a quick high, landing some in the Emergency Room. And those ER visits aren’t deterring others from trying it. Once they do, many find the sweet drink addictive.
It doesn’t help that the drug has a starring role in popular songs and videos. A codeine overdose landed Lil Wayne in the hospital, and the drink has even been linked to deaths in the rap community, taking the lives of Pimp C and DJ Screw.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that one in 10 teens admits to using cough syrup or cold medicine to get high.
The fact that the drink tastes so sweet, often thanks to the addition of Jolly Rancher hard candies, can make teens overlook the fact that they are taking a powerful prescription medication. That means parents need to be on the lookout for terms like “purple drank” and “lean,” other code names for the beverage. Warn kids that this isn’t just a fun party drink. The euphoric high it produces comes at a great cost.
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