The abuse of dextromethorphan-based cough syrup: a pilot study of the community of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

Adolescence, Fall, 1996 by Momodou N. Darboe, Gerald R. Keenan, Jr., Tamara K. Richards

Overall, the data presented in Table 1 indicate that the abuse of OTC products of one kind or another is perceived by the school personnel in Waynesboro's school district to be a social problem. Of the total study population, 62% reportedly are currently aware of the abuse or misuse of OTC products. These respondents were asked to name and rank the three most abused or misused OTC substances, the time and source of their knowledge, and the number of abusers or misusers.

As shown in Table 2, nearly half reported Robitussin cough syrup to be the highest abused OTC product, and an additional 44% listed cough syrup (generically or by product name). Although only 2.4% of those who listed a second OTC product named Robitussin, nearly one fourth reported some other cough syrup (generically or by name). The number of respondents who listed three OTC products was small, and only 8% of that group reported that Robitussin or some other cough syrup was the third highest abused OTC product. The total number of all OTC products reported (first, second, or third most abused combined) is 286, of which 83 were Robitussin, 94 were cough syrup (generic or other brand), and 109 were some other type of OTC product. It is therefore clear that the OTC product of greatest concern, with respect to abuse, is cough syrup - Robitussin by name, or in general.

Table 2: Rank order percent distribution of OTC products

                             Rank Order
                          1       2       3

OTC product                    PERCENT

Robitussin              47.9     2.4     5.4
Cough syrup -             .6     9.5     2.7
other brand
Cough syrup -           43.6    14.3     0.0
no brand
Antihistamines           0.0     4.8    16.2
Pain pills, aspirin,     2.4    11.9    18.9
Tylenol
Diet pills               1.2    22.6    13.5
Nodoz, Vivarin,          1.2    11.9    13.5
other
Sleeping pills           2.4     8.3    13.5
Other OTC                 .6    14.3    16.2
products

Total                  100.0   100.0   100.0

                       165      84      37

When the respondents were asked to indicate the number of persons they know who are abusing the OTC product they had reported as most abused, nearly half of those who cited Robitussin knew of 10 or more abusers, as shown in Table 3. An even greater percentage of those who indicated that cough syrup (generic or another brand) was the most abused, knew at least 10 abusers (6%)(2). These percentages are striking. It seems that the abuse or misuse of Robitussin or cough syrup in general in the Waynesboro community, by far the most abused OTC product in the area, is of recent onset and was ongoing at the time of the survey. As shown in Table 4, only 12% of those who cited cough syrup and fewer than 5% of those reporting Robitussin as the most abused, first learned about such abuse or misuse before 1988; the vast majority first heard of this abuse from 1988 through 1990. More than 90% of both groups reported that they had most recently heard about this abuse in 1990, the year of the survey. One might conclude that only a small proportion of the population was aware of or perceived cough syrup abuse to be a social problem prior to 1988. However, from 1988 through 1990, either as a consequence of professional or informal contact and/or media exposure, knowledge and perception of abuse of cough syrup as a social problem became considerably more widespread.