Purple Drank, Lean and Syzzurp, these are just a few of the slang names for using a cough medicine to get high. Recently, Syzzurp made the news because of a reported connection to rapper Lil Wayne’s hospitalization. What this concoction is, is a mixture of a prescription cough syrup with codeine, soda and hard candies to add sweetness. What users may not realize is that the codeine in the cough syrup is in the same class of drugs as heroin and morphine. Codeine is an opiate pain reliever that can be addictive when used in high doses and can be deadly if too much is taken. Lil Wayne admitted, in an interview with the media, to being addicted to Syzzurp in 2011 because it helped him deal with the stress of being a celebrity. For parents this is an important message. Our kids will often times find ways to manage or cope with the stress in their lives and often times that is in the form of drinking or using drugs. In a 2012 survey of Arizona students, 1 out of 4 said they used drugs or alcohol to deal with the stress in their lives. One of the most important things a parent can do is spend time together with their children and talk about important issues like drinking and drugs. Like any relationship, the relationship with your child needs to grow. What you say about drugs and alcohol is much different to a preschooler than a 10th grader.
For help with what to say, visit the DrugFreeAz.org sample conversation page. There you will find age appropriate information to talk with your child at any age.
Watch DrugFreeAZ.org's Shelly Mowrey discussing this trend on Channel 3: "http://www.azfamily.com/news/health/Kids-using-commonly-prescribed-medicine-to-mix-potentially-deadly-drink-198996391.html">Kids Using Cough Syrup to Mix Potentially Deadly Drink"
