Dextromethorphan(dxm) Cough Syrup Or Addictive Drug

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Image this your teenager goes out for the night. He asks, “Could I have some money to eat later.” Of course you give him the money because he is leaving before supper. So you had him five dollars, thinking he will use the money to eat, but in fact he uses that five dollars and goes to the local Walgreens and buys a bottle of Robotussin DM. He then proceeds to drink a full 4 oz. bottle of cough syrup. Your probably thinking why would someone do that. Well because a lot of cough syrups have a drug called dextromethorphan, which can cause an experience that is compared to acid or PCP. Acid and PCP are illegal, but dextromethorphan is not and is easily accessible for a cheap price. Dextromethorphan should be illegal as well for obvious reasons.
Dextromethorphan is more commonly known as DM or DXM. It acts as the main ingredient to suppress a cough. Dextromethorphan was brought into cough syrups in the 1960s to replace codeine. DXM is an opioid, which means it is part of a family of psychoactive drugs that have the effects of opium, but do not contain or are made up of opium. Although dextromethorphan is safe at recommended dosages, it is abused for recreational use to get a feeling of a “trip”(Erowid).
Dextromethorphan is still legal for two main reasons. The main one being there is no substitute for DXM at the time. The reasons behind this are unknown because dextromethorphan has little medical research or studies on the drug. Codeine was made a prescription drug because of its addiction and abuse, but little is being done to do the same for dextromethorphan. The second reason is pharmaceutical companies do not want to lose a major part of their income because dextromethorphan works well. In recent years many companies denied the fact that dextromethorphan causes a psychedelic effect when abused. Although there have been some cough medicines that are no longer available in the United States. The main one is Drixoral Cough ...