News / Health & Wellness
New Trend: “Robo Tripping”
It’s the latest dangerous way kids are getting high, but what is it and how does it work?
Kids are always looking for a new cheadp way to get high and they’ve found it in the form of “robo tripping.” This teen drug trend gets its name from the over-the-counter cold medication Robitussin, a cough suppressant that teens and pre-teens have discovered can provide a high when ingested in large doses.
Easy To Obtain Medicines
The fact that it’s so easy to get and is found in most home medicine cabinets makes it particularly dangerous. Because it’s sold in drugstores without a prescription and is given readily to kids who are suffering from a common cold, it’s perceived as completely safe – even when taken in much larger doses, for much longer than directed, without any cold symptoms.
Kids hear so much about illegal drugs like heroin, cocaine or marijuana when being warned against teen drug use, but more and more often it’s prescription and over-the-counter medications that are being abused. Painkillers “borrowed” from parents, cold meds like Robitussin and ADD or ADHD meds are all very popular among adventurous teens who don’t give any thought to the long-term effects.
Dangers in Robo Tripping
Overdose is a very real possibility, though, with these readily available medications. Robo-tripping can cause disturbances in heart rhythym, blood pressure swings and impair motor function. It’s even more dangerous when meds containing dextromethorphan (the active ingredient in many cough suppressants) are combined with other stimulants including caffeinated beverages, energy drinks, even prescription drugs to treat ADHD.
More than 3 million people age 12 to 25 have used cough medications to get high, according to a 2006 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration survey. This concerns experts on many levels, particularly because they know that kids who are willing to abuse one drug are more likely to experiment with other drugs as well.
Teen Drug Addiction
