Latest Monitoring the Future survey finds DXM abuse still low

WASHINGTON - The results of the 2015 National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future survey released earlier this week found that the percent of teens abuse of over-the-counter cough medicine containing dextromethorphan to get high remains at 3%. When first reported by Monitoring the Future in 2006, teen OTC cough medicine abuse was at just under 6%.

 

“The results of this year’s Monitoring the Future survey demonstrate that prevention efforts are essential to keeping the abuse rate at its all-time low,” stated Scott Melville, president and CEO of the Consumer Healthare Products Association. “The industry remains committed to helping families and communities fight this behavior.”

 

CHPA and Partnership for Drug-Free Kids work together to reach teens by highlighting the social disapproval and side effects of cough medicine abuse behaviors.

 

“It’s gratifying to see DXM abuse remaining at very low levels, and to feel that the Partnership’s targeted communications efforts, in collaboration with the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, have helped teens see this behavior as risky – and pretty embarrassing, too,” said Sean Clarkin, EVP, research and external relations, Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.

 

CHPA works to spread the word about the dangers of teen cough medicine abuse to parents through its Stop Medicine Abuse campaign.

 

“Parents have the power to help their teens make good decisions. Through online engagement with parents, media coverage, and collaboration with the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, we reached parents and community leaders more than 279 million times this year,” Melville said.

 

To restrict teen access to DXM, CHPA supported the passage of state laws prohibiting the sale of medicines containing DXM to those under 18. Currently, Arizona, California, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington have all passed this legislation, three of which passed this year thanks to CHPA’s active engagement. CHPA strongly advocates for passage of national bipartisan legislation, the DXM Abuse Prevention Act of 2015 (H.R. 3250). CHPA believes the bill is one way to limit teen access to the medicines and is an important part of prevention along with educating teens about the risks and mobilizing parents to talk to their teens and safeguard the medicines in their home.