Durban - A Durban pharmacist has raised the alarm about a sharp increase in the sale of cough mixture and pain tablets which he said were being used to create toxic party drugs.
There are concerns that children are becoming hooked on the codeine-heavy concoction and paying the cost later.
The cough medicine and pain tablets can be bought over the counter without a prescription.
Parents have been warned to be wary of where they store such medicines and monitor their usage and the use of medical aid cards by their children.
The pharmacist, who spoke to The Mercury on condition of anonymity, said he had seen a marked increase in the number of schoolchildren who came to his pharmacy to buy Stilpane syrup and tablets, and Painmed, which was being used by some to mix the drugs.
Zipho Mkhize, founder of the anti-drug facility Ikatsi Youth in Action in Claremont, said through consultation with drug users who wanted to quit, they were told that Benylin and Broncleer syrups were also being abused to get high.
All these mixtures were popular at parties frequented by youngsters, as, taken to excess, they made them “high” and kept them on the dance floor until sunrise.
“Recently, more school kids are coming in. Selling of these products is on the increase,” said the pharmacist. “Ideally they should be used to treat cough and for pain killing, but if a big dose is taken, a person gets high.
“It becomes the same as taking crack or heroine because they have codeine and taking them this way is addictive.”
Sam Pillay, chairman of the Anti-Drug Forum in Chatsworth, said they were aware of the combination of drugs and had heard youngsters telling them they started drug abuse at home.
“I was at a primary school with a class of about 50 kids around the age of 12; of those, 35 had had a glass of alcohol and had got alcohol at home. This tells us that as parents we have to be wary of the stock of alcohol and medication we keep at home.”
Pillay said parents must not think it would not happen to their children and had to monitor their children’s friends.
“As neighbours you must take care of each others’ kids,” he said.
Pillay said the combination of drugs had health implications which included kidney failure, liver problems and heart disease, and could be deadly.
Stilpane package warnings indicate that “prolonged continuous use of this medication may lead to dependency and addiction. Paracetamol dosages in excess of those recommended may cause severe liver damage. Prolonged excessive use can cause irreversible kidney damage”.
A Pinetown mother whose son was buying medication, and who she suspected was using it to make the drugs, told The Mercury how they came to know about the trend.
Her husband, the father of her 18-year-old son, received SMS notifications of claims from their medical aid, yet no one in the house had told them that they needed medication. The children denied knowledge of the claims.
He went to the pharmacy where the medication had been bought and when they checked their records, Painmed had been bought.
“The pharmacist told my husband that pupils use it to create a drug. He asked to view the CCTV footage which confirmed that our son had actually been at the counter and bought the medication,” she said.
They confronted their son, who denied it until they presented him with the evidence.
“He told us he was not using drugs but his friend had asked him to buy it on his behalf. I could not stand it because the previous day we had just read the story about the KwaMashu youngsters who had died and some hospitalised after taking drugs.
“He told us that his friend had been mixing Painmed with cold drink to create a drug and had used it throughout the matric year. He said many of his schoolmates were using it to get high,” she said.
The mother said they had decided to take their son for random drug testing.
“I won’t even warn him. I have gone through the issue of drugs with the older brother; it nearly killed me, nearly destroyed our family.”
Mkhize said parents had to be aware that drug abuse evolved.
“Kids put marijuana on sandwiches and eat during family breakfast while you think all is clear,” she said.
The famous but deadly mixture
According to a student blog, Varsity Blues: “Double cupping is when you drink a mixture of codeine-laced cough syrup mixed with Sprite. Cough syrup can be bought at any pharmacy without a prescription and it is then mixed into a 2-litre bottle of soft drink.
“What results is a very bright purple concoction that is called lean, purple or just syrup. This concoction tastes like raspberry soft drink. After a few minutes of consuming it, everything around you starts moving in slow motion.
“What makes it even deadlier is that it is often taken together with alcohol and dagga at the parties.”
@sphengubane
The Mercury