By Michael Cook
A local law limiting the sale of cough suppressants containing Dextromethorphan (DXM) was proposed by Nassau County Legislators Wayne Wink (D-Roslyn) and Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick) on Sept. 24, and was passed unanimously in committee. It is expected to reach a full-floor vote later this month.
The law was initiated by the recent trend of DXM abuse among teenagers.
Violators of the law would be subject to a $250 fine for the first offense, no less than $500 for a second offense and no more than $750 for any subsequent violation. Suffolk County passed a similar law concerning the restricted sale of cough suppressants in May and takes effect Nov. 15.
“The abuse of DXM has flown under the radar for too long, and children are losing their lives because of it,” Denenberg said. “This proposal will place effective restrictions on a product whose overuse is ruining lives across the country.”
Dextromethorphan, or DXM, is the main ingredient in the majority of cough suppressants found in drugstores. Similar to codeine, DXM is an effective cough suppressant when taken properly.
If DXM is taken in excess, it can cause euphoric or hallucinogenic reactions, and, according to scientists and anti-drug advocates, it resembles the effects of drugs such as Ketamine or PCP.
The term “robotripping” is a popular slang word for abusing Robitussin cough syrup, among other brands.
“DXM abuse has become a very real health concern among kids and teens, and it’s time for steps to be taken to ensure their safety,” Wink said. “When the lives of our young people are at risk, it is our responsibility to do something about it.”
The full hearing will be Oct. 10, after nearly two months of discussion in the legislature. According to Deputy Majority Press Secretary Chris Munzing, the proposed legislation is intended to reform the policies for drugstores.
“Companies such as CVS and Walgreens already had programs in place, but then I talked to a Waldbaum’s in Mineola, and they had no idea what we were talking about,” Munzing said.
With the legislation in place, Nassau County hopes to insure that there is not “one place” where teenagers can go to buy DXM products underage.
Matt Salomon, a sophomore film studies and production major disagreed. “Even with this new law, I don’t think it’s that hard to get cough syrup, I mean, it’s cough syrup-you can get it from your medicine cabinet,” Salomon said. “If you do it for recreation it’s much different from doing it on a regular basis. I think having a guns and ammo store right next to a bar on Hempstead Turnpike is much worse than worrying about this.”
A study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America estimated that 2.4 million teenagers, roughly 1 in 10, got high using cough medicine in 2005. In 2006 there were 76 cases of teens abusing DXM in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties, nearly twice as many as in 2000, as reported by a toxicologist at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola.