Andrew Michael Maxfield

02/01/91 - 8/06/10

What is dextromethorphan or DXM?

Dextromethorphan is a cough-suppressing ingredient in a variety of OTC cold and cough medications. It is found in more than 125 OTC products and comes in various forms, most commonly in cough suppressants in caplet or liquid form.

Latest Trend in Drug Abuse: Youths Risk
Death for Cough-Remedy High and It's as easy as going shopping to get it!

Hospitals, Schools report a wave of overdoses on Non-Prescription Medicine

Emergency rooms and schools across the nation are reporting that waves of youths are overdosing on non-prescr iption cough and cold medicines that are widely available in drugstores and supermarkets.

The dozens of overdoses in the past two years — including at least five deaths in which the abuse of over-thecounter medicines was a factor — reflect how medicines such as Robitussin and Coricidin are becoming more popular as recreational drugs for kids as young as 12, police and doctors say.

The incidents represent a dangerous turn from past decades, when some youths would guzzle cough syrup to try to get a buzz from alcohol and codeine, authorities say. Most cough and cold medicines no longer contain alcohol, and those with codeine, an addictive opiate, are available only by prescription. But more than 120 overthe-counter medicines include dextromethorphan, or DXM, a cough suppressant that when taken in heavy doses can produce hallucinations and a loss of motor control, much as PCP does. Kids don't have to drink entire bottles of goopy cough syrup to go"Robotripping" or "Dexing." Pills such as Coricidin HBP Cough & Cold tablets — known as "Triple C's" — offer far more potent doses of DXM with less hassle.

Youths can buy the medicines easily, then go to Web sites to learn how much someone of their weight should take to get high. Whether in cough syrup or pills, DXM costs just a few dollars, is "easy to get . . . and there's a lot of information about how to get high on it on the Internet," says Charles Nozicka, medical director of pediatric emergency medicine at St.

Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, Ill., west of Chicago. He says that he began seeing DXM overdoses among teens three or four years ago, and that lately he has seen as many as four cases
a week.

These types of medicines should be removed from shelves and placed behind the counter as cigarettes are. Although you must be 18 years old to purchase these med's, they are so easily stolen, it's like stealing candy. It is so important we do something about this as children, maybe your own loved one(s) has/have passed due to the irrisponsibility of others. This is a "No-brainer" Take these med's off the shelf and place behind the counter.

Source USA Today

Please Join us in our mission to remove these harmful drugs from store shelves and placed in a more secure place. The life you save may be your own child. Don't wait, add your name to the petition so that we make sure that these truly tragic deaths are a thing of the past. Thank you

Please Join us in our mission to remove these harmful drugs from store shelves and placed in a more secure place (Behind the counter). The life you save may be your own child. Don't wait, add your name to our petition to ensure that these truly tragic deaths are a thing of the past. Thank you

I can still smell the flowers as they laid you to rest. I can still feel you here always very near, always in my heart. You tried your very best.

As my heart is heavy with the love that I lost, hoping you Know I loved you at any cost. Wish you were here to hug and to hold, but knowing I’ll Never get to see you grow old. Wanting to feel your arms around me right now, but knowing I’ll never ever feel you again.

My pain is so great knowing you’re gone. But I have comfort of your path through heaven’s gate, with God by your side and angels flying high, oh Andy why did you Have to die so young? Only God knows why.

I have to go on, I have to be strong, because I know that We will be together forever again. They say time heals all Sadness and sorrow, I hope I feel better with every tomorrow.

I love you Andy

Dad