House reintroduces DXM Abuse Prevention Act
WASHINGTON — Reps. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, and Doris Matsui, D-Calif., both members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, introduced the DXM Abuse Prevention Act on Thursday in a bipartisan effort to prevent teen abuse of over-the-counter cough medicines containing the cough suppressant dextromethorphan, commonly referred to the DXM.
The bill would establish a national age-18 requirement for the purchase of the medicines containing DXM. Over the past several years,12 states have addressed this issue by passing similar legislation.
Johnson and Matsui introduced similar legislation during the previous session of Congress.
“Teens are taking large doses of cough and/or cold medicine to get high, largely because of its easy availability,” Johnson said. “Teenagers, parents and leaders in every community across America need to be educated about this danger that can so easily fly under the radar. While we want to make sure that we are keeping these cough medicines available to the majority of Americans that use them to treat their cold or flu, we also must work to keep kids from developing addictive behaviors by abusing such substances at an early age.”
A 2014 National Institute on Drug Abuse study found that 1 in 30 teens admits to abusing DXM – sometimes taking more than 25 times or more of the recommended dose when abusing these medicines.
“This bill is a common sense way to ensure cough medicine remains accessible to those that use it appropriately, and inaccessible to those who seek to abuse it,” Matsui added. “With the help of advocates, retailers and manufacturers nationwide, we’ve already made tremendous progress in curbing the abuse of DXM by teens. By creating a national standard, we build on this progress, and protect the health and well-being of teens across the country.”
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association is behind the bill. “Our industry thanks Congressman Johnson and Congresswoman Matsui, as well as House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman, Greg Walden, R-Ore., for their leadership and commitment to this issue," stated Scott Melville, CHPA president and CEO. "We look forward to continuing our work with Congress to move this bill on its path to passage.”
DXM is a safe and effective cough suppressant found in more than 100 cough and cold medicines. While millions of Americans rely on these medicines to relieve cough and cold symptoms, the 2016 National Institute on Drug Abuse Monitoring the Future study reported that approximately one in 30 teens admits to abusing DXM to get high.
CHPA has long supported national educational efforts to curb teen OTC cough medicine abuse through its StopMedicineAbuse.org education campaign, which includes collaborations with The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, National Association of School Nurses and D.A.R.E. America.