Teach by example

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) just came out with a report warning about a growing and potentially life-threatening trend known as “Robo tripping,” the abuse of over-the-counter cough and cold medications by America’s youth.

The ASA is involved in the problem because anesthesiologists are often among the first medical people to deal with overdose cases at hospitals.

From what the ASA says, nearly 10% of all American teens have admitted to getting high on cough medication containing the synthetic drug dextromethorphan (DXM), which produces a hallucinogenic high when consumed in large amounts.

Kids as young as nine-years-old have admitted to Robo tripping, mainly because the drug is readily available without a prescription and inexpensive. The “Robo” refers to Robotussin, although many other cough medicines also contain DXM.

“Consuming large amounts of drugs containing DXM can have a variety of serious and very dangerous side effects on a child’s short- and long-term health, ranging from hallucinations to loss of motor control, and even death,” said Michael H. Entrup, MD, ASA director for the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists. “As summer swings into high gear and many kids are home from school, it’s especially important for parents to be aware of what their kids are doing during the break. As anesthesiologists, we want to help family members not only recognize the signs of Robo tripping but also to ensure that children are aware of the danger inherent in this type of drug abuse.”

The ASA is taking action to curb Robo tripping among teens and tweens by providing parents with the information to recognize and prevent it. DXM, the active ingredient in cough medications that is abused when children Robo trip — also referred to as Robo, Skittles, Dex and Tussin — is available in more than 125 medications, including well-known brands.

Parents should actively monitor for possible signs of Robo tripping, which can include:

• An unusual medicinal smell on the child.
• Empty or missing cough and cold medicine bottles.
• An unexplainable disappearance of money from the house.
• A sudden change in their child’s physical appearance, attitude, and sleeping and/or eating habits.
• Questionable or unexpected packages arriving in the mail addressed to the child.
• Visits by their child to pro-drug websites.

Parents can help protect their children from DXM abuse by:

• Educating them about the dangers of drug abuse.
• Controlling access to cough and cold medicines (which may include locking the medicine cabinet).
• Keeping their own medications out of the reach of their children.
• Familiarizing themselves with — and not stockpiling — medicines that contain DXM.
• Actively checking their credit card statements.
• Monitoring their child’s internet use.

I’m going to add my own advice: set an example for your kids. Look into your medicine cabinet and ask yourself whether you REALLY need all those medicines and pills. Are you taking them for every little ache and pain? Are you taking them more out of habit than need? Are you buying into the drug makers’ propaganda that chemical substances are good for you (as though you may have an aspirin deficiency!)?

If your kids see you reaching for an OTC drug every day, what kind of message are they getting from you? If they see you drinking alcohol every night, they’re likely to see this as an accepted behavior. Same thing for both prescription and OTC drugs. Your acceptance of these medications as good and healthy things can give your children a green light to try their own version of the OTC banquet. At the very least, it gives them the parental example they need to justify their actions.

Reduce the likelihood that your children will be lured into taking drugs of any kind by making sure you teach by example, and achieve wellness through wise lifestyle choices.