Cough syrup abuse rise among teens in Bahrain

Manama : Abusive use of cough syrups is on the rise among teenagers in Bahrain, it has been revealed.

Dextromethropan (DXM or DM), a common ingredient used in cough syrups and in some cold medicines is getting popular among youth.  - to get high.

DXM is a drug of the morphinan class with sedative and stimulant properties at higher doses. 

This user-friendly medicine, which is available in medical stores only through prescription, is now widely mistreated by teens who replace them with alcohol. When exceeding label-specified maximum dosages, DXM acts as a dissociative anaesthetic. It has also found numerous other uses in medicine, ranging from pain relief over psychological applications to the treatment of addiction. 

Speaking to DT News, a pharmacist from a popular medical store chain said, “We have found many teens asking for these kind of medicines. They approach as if they do not know much about these medicines.  They reveal some allergic reactions such as skin rashes or redness, and ask for the medicine. Since these are Prescription Only Medicine (POM), we prevent supplying to them.”

Even though such medicines are hardly sold Over The Counter (OTC), some pharmacists apparently supplies them out of kindness to elderly people, who show the symptoms of rashes or skin diseases. 

Bahrain University Health Sciences College Allied Health Department Chairperson Dr S Mahmood Alqallaf said, “The active ingredient of the cough syrup is Chlorpheniramine Maleate, which is one of the first generation antihistamines that are used for the treatment of allergic reaction and some types of cough. One major side effect of the first generation antihistamines is sedation.” 

“This side effect makes these antihistamines liable for abuse. The Chlorpheniramine is a POM though some pharmacies sell it without adhering to the order. If the pharmacists suspect that the patient asking for this medicine is an abuser, they should refuse to dispense it. Besides, no patient should be dispensed more than one bottle at a time,” he suggested.

Though the supply of these kind of medicines to teenagers was restricted OTC, they find them with elderly people at home, who use them.

“These kind of activities will lead to addiction. Abuse of anything cannot be tolerated. It has to be addressed correctly. I have noticed teens using some sort of glues and tablets to get high. Nowadays, they use cough syrup and take three or four bottles at once to get the desired high,” Addict Friends Society Director Mirza Ahmed Ali.

“Stern action should be taken in this issue. Proper awareness should be given to the parents also,” he added.