No parent wants their children to be addicted to alcohol or drugs, but sadly, it is the reality of life in which we all live. For some, it’s influenced by friends, for others, its their ‘choice’ of coping mechanism. The list goes on, writes Cape {town} Etc’s Leigh-Ann Londt.
According to News24, there’s a ‘new’ drug that parents should be aware of, and her name is Lean. Essentially, it’s a mixture largely constituting the same codeine that is found in pain medication. It’s not new in the sense that it hasn’t been tried before – but rather the popularity of lean is alleged to have increased.
But how are the kids getting it you may want to know… Some cough mixtures can be bought over the counter without a script making it easily accessible for children to get it.
Users may also mix in promethazine, which is an antihistamine that may strengthen the effects of codeine and make the consumer feel relaxed and sleepy, according to Medical News Today.
People are mixing codeine cough syrup, any soda and hard candy. However, it’s highly addictive and could potentially do damage to the body, reports Addiction Center. High doses of codeine and promethazine can induce hallucinations and vivid dreams or nightmares and many take the drug specifically for this reason as they believe that the hallucinations support creative thinking.
An individual could become addicted in a short period of time because of how the opioids short-circuit the brain’s response system (codeine comes from the Opium poppy plant, similar to Morphine, and is one of the weaker Opioids. This could also potentially lead to an overdose as the body will just want more and more.
According to Black Bear Rehab, there are seven obvious signs of codeine abuse – including:
- Anxiety
- Yawning
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Cramps
- Diarrhea
- Depression
The prescription cough syrup that is used in Lean also contains promethazine, which relaxes the consumer. Lean may also include, dextromethorphan (DXM), a sedative found in many over-the-counter cough syrups. When taken in high doses, DXM can cause any or all of these six side effects:
- Impaired vision
- Rapid breathing
- Irregular heartbeat
- Slurred speech
- Memory loss
- Coma
If you are suffering from a lean addiction or know of someone who you would like to help, kindly contact one of these numbers below and reach out for help:
Contact: 021 790 7779
Location: 7 Valley Rd, Hout Bay, Cape Town
Contact: 064 085 4266
Location: 12 Blackheath Rd, Kenilworth, Cape Town
Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre
Contact: 021 447 8026
Location: 1 Roman Rd, Observatory, Cape Town
You are not alone! Reach out to someone today.
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