Dextromethorphan not to become scheduled.

So, if you didn't know, there was a hearing today regarding the scheduling of the DXM.

"ADELPHI, Md. -- An FDA advisory panel voted 15 to 9 on Tuesday against recommending that dextromethorphan -- the active ingredient in many common cough medicines -- be classified as a controlled substance."

"The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) asked the FDA to revisit the issue of whether dextromethorphan has a high potential for abuse and should therefore be classified as as controlled substance. The DEA cannot add a drug to the schedule unless the FDA recommends it."

"The agency has convened panels on the same issue twice before, most recently in 1992. Since then, however, there has been an increasing number of reports of adolescents "robo-tripping" -- taking doses of cough medicine that are 10 to 20 times greater than the amount recommended for cough suppression."

"Dextromethorphan played a role in 8,000 emergency room visits in 2008 -- up 70% percent from 2004 -- according to the FDA staff. However, they noted, people who abuse dextromethorphan generally are abusing other drugs as well, so it's difficult to tease out which drug was responsible for the hospitalization."

"Although the panel was concerned that some adolescents are using dextromethorphan to get high, the majority of members felt the abuse problem wasn't widespread enough -- especially compared with the abuse of other controlled substances such as oxycodone -- to warrant classifying the drug under the Controlled Substances Act."

"The panel did express support for making it illegal for anyone under age 18 to purchase medication that contains dextromethorphan and limiting sales of bulk dextromethorphan. Doing so would require an act of Congress."

"If the FDA doesn't follow the panel's advice -- an uncommon occurrence -- and makes dextromethorphan a scheduled drug, it would likely be placed in the least strict group -- Schedule V -- along with cough syrup with codeine. Placing a drug into Schedule V would allow dextromethorphan to remain an over-the-counter medication, but it would make it illegal for those under 18 to purchase it."

"Such a move would also require customers to sign a log when purchasing medication containing dextromethorphan and would require a pharmacist to sell the drug. That would mean common brands such as Robitussin, NyQuil, and Dimetapp would disappear from grocery store shelves."

"Tuesday's panel, however, was in agreement that there is enough pharmacological and epidemiological data to show that dextromethorphan has abuse potential, and that the specific population most at risk for abuse are adolescents who are also using other drugs to get high."

"One panelist, Thomas Kosten, MD, a specialist in psychiatry and addictions at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, called dextromethorphan a gateway drug to PCP."

""Today's FDA advisory committee decision not to recommend scheduling OTC cough medicines containing dextromethorphan as a controlled substance reflects a sound balancing of the benefits of over-the-counter medicines containing dextromethorphan," said CHPA. "We do, however, recognize the need for continued education to keep any abuse levels low.""

All information taken from: http://www.medpagetoday.com/ProductAlert/OTC/22183

 

a gateway drug to pcp? are these people fucking retarded?

 

I don't think it's become more common.... I believe the internet has given rise to people reporting their trips, because it's an easy way to share your experiences without getting into trouble.... the use of robitussin to trip has probably become less common as most adolescents I talk to have no idea wht it does and actually laugh at ppl who do it..... the internet has provided the dea with a lot of "proof" that drug use is on the rise while it really is not..... solution to the problem is to stop posting trip reports... but we all know that'll never happen