Abill set to be introduced by state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-18th District) would prohibit the sale of medicines with the chemical dextromethorphan (DXM) to anyone under the age of 18.
If the legislation passes, cashiers would be required to verify the age of purchasers in much the same way they do for cigarettes and pornography. DXM is a widely used cough suppressant found in such medicines as Robitussin, Zicam Cough, and Mucinex DM. Buono and her Republican partner in this endeavor, Sen. Tom Kean Jr. (R-21st District), plan to introduce the bill when the Legislature reconvenes in the fall.
While judicious use of DXM has been shown to be effective in treating coughs, some people, especially teens and preteens, according to Buono, abuse it recreationally. Taken in large enough doses, it has been known to function as a strong hallucinogen, causing euphoria, time distortions, and closed-eye hallucinations. Such uses, however, have also been shown to carry significant health risks such as vomiting, muscle spasms, heart and brain damage, and in certain cases, death.
“This [bill] will force New Jersey to act and act now … . It’s only a matter of time before tragedy strikes in our home state. We cannot have this crisis unchecked,” Buono said during a press conference in front of Edison High School on Sept. 2.
The senator said she had not been aware of how prevalent the abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medications is today, especially among young people, but after hearing about things such as “robotripping,” where people take large quantities of Robitussin for its hallucinogenic effects, she decided that action had to be taken.
Buono said that DXM abuse has been rising in recent years, especially among people ages 9 to 17, and that three-quarters of abusers are within this age range. About one in 100 have experimented with DXM, with the FDA attributing at least five deaths to such abuse.
She noted that this is because it’s easily accessible, since young people can buy multiple bottles at a time at the supermarket without any sort of restriction.
“The state must step in,” said Buono. “We need to limit this potent drug to only responsible adults.”
Ashley Angalet, a student at Edison High School, said she knows firsthand the dangers of abusing DXM. She described her story in great detail. She said she made a big mistake in trusting people she thought were her friends when they told her that it would be fun to take DXM and mix it with caffeine pills.
“I never thought that medicine that was meant to help you could hurt you,” said Angalet.
While hanging out with friends taking over-the-counter medications, she began suffering the adverse effects that can come with recreational DXM use. She wound up in the hospital for five days, a day and a half of which was in intensive care. Her heart was affected and her blood chemistry was off.
“I was very dehydrated from vomiting for 24 hours,” said Angalet. “I am still recovering from this whole ordeal.”
Steve Liga, executive director of the New Jersey Prevention Network, said that limiting sales of DXM-loaded products will be a simple but effective step in curbing abuse, and he praised the proposed legislation.
“Right now it’s just so easy to get ahold of DXM,” said Liga. “Nobody’s gong to notice if the cough medicine is missing from the cabinet.”
Angelo Valenti, of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, concurred, saying that a big reason for the rise in prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse is lack of education about their ill effects. He said a recent survey revealed that 30 percent of New Jersey middle school students didn’t think abusing prescription drugs was a bad idea.
“This is why it’s important to take every step possible,” said Valenti.
Some major pharmaceutical retailers are way ahead of the legislation in preventing access to DXM-filled medications to minors.
Mike D’Angelo, a spokesperson with the drug store chain CVS, said its stores already restrict the sale of such products to people 18 and over.
“So, we’re already doing what this proposal would make mandatory in New Jersey,” said D’Angelo.
Carol Hively, a spokesperson with the Walgreens drug store chain, said that they, too, restrict sales of such products to people 18 and over and have done so since 2005.
“Since the summer of 2005, Walgreens has voluntarily restricted all dextromethorphan purchases (any product containing any amount of DXM) to customers 18 years of age or older. Our registers prompt for ID proof of age,” Hively said in an e-mail.
Hively added that Walgreens restricts the sale of the medication Coricidin DXM to no more than two boxes per transaction, in addition to the age restriction, because it is the “preferred” DXM product among teens.
Under the proposed bill, anyone who sells or offers a person under the age of 18 a product containing DXM faces a $250 fine for the first violation, $500 for the second, and $1,000 for each one after that.
The state Senate is set to reconvene in October.
Contact Chris Gaetano at Sent-