Kentucky Could Become Latest State to Place Age Restriction on Cough Syrup Purchases

A bill soon to be introduced in Kentucky would make it illegal to sell cough syrup containing dextromethorphan (DXM) to anyone under 18. Several states, including New York and California, already have such laws in place.

The Kentucky bill, which has been filed for the upcoming legislative session that begins in January, targets products including Robitussin DM and NyQuil, The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The bill is designed to prevent teenagers from using these products to get high.

The effects of dextromethorphan abuse vary with the amount taken. Common DXM effects can include confusion, dizziness, double or blurred vision, slurred speech, impaired physical coordination, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, rapid heartbeat, drowsiness, numbness of fingers and toes and disorientation. DXM abusers describe different “plateaus” ranging from mild distortions of color and sound to visual hallucinations and “out-of-body,” dissociative, sensations and loss of motor control.

According to the Monitoring The Future study, 5 percent of high school seniors abused non-prescription cough medicine in 2013.