Robotripping: Teens Getting High, Tripping on Cold Medicine
Posted By: Elisabeth Wilkins, EP Editor
Category: Drugs, News, Substance Abuse, Teens, Tweens
Comments: 5
If you think your child hasn’t tried Robotripping, you might want to read this.
Last week, a mom wrote to us with this story:
I’m not sure if you are aware of this recent trend of kids drinking Robitussin, but I found out about it by accident from my 16-year old daughter, who lives with her Dad. She got mixed up with a 19-year old freak who drinks whole entire bottles of Robitussin to get high. Also, I don’t understand the reason behind this, but they sometimes combine Robitussin, Jolly Ranchers, and some kind of clear pop like Sprite or 7-Up to make a “cocktail.”
My daughter said she will never do this again, because it made her so sick she was vomiting on & off for 3 days. Do you have any recent reports or info regarding students under the age of 18 using Robitussin to get high? This is the first I have heard about it.
–Southwest Mom
To be honest, I’d heard murmurs about this trend, but didn’t realize how widespread it has gotten. When I was in high school, I remember a kid named Mike who drank Scope and cough syrup between classes. Everyone knew he was doing it, but nobody else joined in. In fact, I remember feeling a little sorry for him. Well, times have changed. I dug around on the Internet and found out that “Robotripping,” as it’s now called, is hugely popular with kids aged 9-17. Basically, it involves consuming large amounts of Robitussin or other cough syrups containing DXM until you get high–apparently, when you drink enough of it, it has a hallucinogenic effect. Coricidin, or “doing Skittles” is also a popular abuse of an OTC drug. (In 2006, 1 in 10 teens admitted to abusing the medicine to get high.) There are even whole websites devoted to making up tasty cocktails with cold medicines, complete with little charts that show you how much you need to drink in order to get wasted. Kids feel like it’s safe to do this becaues these are medicines found in their parents’ bathrooms, but sadly, some have actually overdosed and died from Robotripping.
Does anyone else have more information on this, or on other OTC drugs that kids are abusing? (I’m including a link here to the Mayo Clinic website, where a doctor describes what you should look for if you suspect your child is Robotripping.)
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July 23rd, 2008 at 1:16 am
Where did you come up with the name, “robotripping”? The kids are calling it, “surping”. That’s their name for it.
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:29 am
Terry, thanks for the info. When I was researching it online, a lot of articles (including the one I linked to in this post) referred to it as “Robotripping.” But thanks for the update!
July 30th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
I wanted to say something about this getting
high off cough syrup thing. I think these kids
are just trying to fit in with there age group.
Maybe have a little fun. These kids probably don’t
think about the consequences. And since I’m am only
thirteen, I know what in there heads. When you parents
say that you can die from it, they don’t think your
serious. Or maybe, they have feel into addiction with
the feeling. I get high, a lot. From hair spay to weed
to huffing axe. If you have a kid like me, then maybe,
there problem is whats going on around them.
There could be a million reason they do it.
I do it so I can numb myself, it makes it easier
when my parents fight, or my dad hits me, or when
he hits my mom.My mom is trying real hard to fix the problems in our life no and it started with leaving my dad for good this time but she not only is putting me in treatment she is seeking treatment for my dad too. She said that you have to get to the root of the problem to be able to fix anything correctly. Hope this helps. From a kid that knows.
August 25th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
[...] Then they take them in various combinations just to see what will happen.” (He warned that abuse of OTC drugs, ie Robotripping, is also very [...]
October 12th, 2008 at 11:49 am
I just caught my 17 yr old son drinking cough medicine to get high. Apparently he had taken cough medicine pills in the past and I didn’t pick up on it because the high didn’t last as long as the cough syrup high I busted him on. I was so scared and didn’t know what to do for him. My advise to other parents is if you kids eyes are dialated they are quite possibly high on over the counter drugs. Question them, threaten to have them tested for it. Threaten to take them to have blood work done whatever you have to do to get a truthful answer out of them. I knew my son was tripping on something. He kept insisting he was just tired. I kept on till I got the truth. I am glad I didn’t just toss it off as aa teen who had stayed up all night. Now I feel like I have to watch him like a hawk and will for awhile. Its scary stuff these kids are doing.