TEENAGERS are turning to mixing their own toxic cocktails in order to reach a ‘high’ quicker. That’s according to Carol van Tonder of the Durban North/uMhlanga Crisis Team.
She’s noticed that party-goers and young kids are using cough liquids, which contains the short-acting narcotic, codeine, to reach highs quicker. She recently caught a youngster with a bottle of cooldrink acting suspiciously in uMhlanga. When she asked to see the bottle, the youngster ran away.
“I later found out they had mixed cough medicine into Sprite. There was a strange smell to the drink and it was almost pinky purple in colour. Codeine can be highly addictive and gives the user an overall sense of calm and feelings of pleasure. When codeine is used, it enters the brain and causes the release of neurotransmitters that stimulate the reward center of the brain, leaving the user feeling intense feelings of well-being and pleasure. This can lead to both psychological and physical dependence.”
“I have also been informed by teenagers that it is common for party-goers to take ecstasy tablets and they are easily obtainable. This is extremely concerning, especially since the Mercedes ecstasy drug recently claimed the lives of four KwaMashu residents and left more than 32 in hospital. Ecstasy tablets at present are branded with vehicle labels and can also lead to psychotic episodes in some cases.”
Some young people are also resorting to taking their parents’ medication to mix into their drinks. Van Tonder urged parents to be extremely vigilant, especially with their medication.
“Don’t think this is a case of ‘my child would never do this’. This is happening, parents need to keep count of their medication because this could lead to a fatality. I will be asking the CPF Youth Desk to do an awareness campaign on these toxic mixtures. People who become addicted to codeine use it to manage other problems in their lives, such as emotional pain or stresses due to the euphoric feelings it causes. The use of these toxic cocktails can lead to major health risks such as organ failure, depression and even a coma if taken in high quantities,” she said.
