Signs that your child is getting high on OTC meds

Posted in teenagers
by Lorain County Moms

By Aisha Sultan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The American Society of Anesthesiologists has a number of tips to help parents identify over-the-counter drug abuse in kids.

This form of drug abuse, also known as Robo tripping, has become a growing trend among tweens and teens ranging in age from nine to 17.

Many children are home from school over the summer and may have a lot of free time on their hands. According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, 1 in 11 teens has admitted to Robo tripping.

Robo tripping is the abuse of over-the-counter cough and cold medications containing dextromethorphan (DXM), including well-known brands such as Robitussin and Coricidin. DXM is popular because it is cheap and available for over-the-counter purchase and is an active ingredient in more than 125 medications.

Robo tripping can have severe long- and short-term side effects ranging from hallucinations to loss-of-consciousness to death.
Signs of Robo tripping can include:

An unusual medicinal smell on your child.

Empty or missing cough and cold medicine bottles.

An unexplainable disappearance of money from the house.

A sudden change in your child’s physical appearance, attitude, and sleeping and/or eating habits.

Questionable or unexpected packages arriving in the mail addressed to your child.

Visits by your child to pro-drug websites.