Cough Syrup Abuse

Cough syrup abuse is taking non-recommended, extremely high doses of over-the-counter cough syrup in order to get high. The "high" is caused by taking a large amount of dextromethorphan (DXM), a common active ingredient found in many cough medications.

Shannon, 24, Talks about Cough Syrup Abuse:
“I have so much going for me know – and do I really want to throw it away? Cough Syrup Abuse consumes your life and you don’t realize it’s doing that until you take a step back and look. Because of this drug I’ve ruined so many things I’ve had. I had no ambition – I was like, ‘I’ll just be a regular person,’ when I know I’m not meant for that and I’ve had so many people tell me I’m not meant for that. I was just like, ‘You know what, I’m happy because I can get high everyday,’ and that’s just not something to live for. Now I realize that the last two years has just been a wash. I always thought that I can handle everything – but you can’t handle it. As much as you think you can handle it – you can’t handle it. The abuse will consume you.

“Even if it’s experimental, it’s not even worth the trouble. Things might start out as experimental – that’s how it started out for me – it will get a hold on you and it won’t let go. It takes a real strong person once you’re in it to get past [cough medicine abuse]. You’re better off not even trying it. You’re better off not trying any drug. If I could go back to when I was 18 and tell myself not to do these things because, ‘When you’re 24 you’re going to be at square one’ I would. That’s the lesson I want to teach people – if you want to do anything with yourself, don’t do this. Because like I said, I’m 24 and I’m no better off than when I was 17. When I was 17 I would have never looked at myself and thought, you’re 24 and you still live at home and you don’t have a car? I would’ve been so ashamed of myself.”

Watch Shannon’s video.