Children at risk from cough syrup high

Parents have been warned of a dangerous craze in which children mix fizzy drinks with codeine-based cough syrup to get high.

“Purple drank”, also known as lean or sizzurp, is the slang name for a concoction that became popular in the US hip-hop community in the Nineties. Parents have now been warned that youngsters who try the fad are putting their lives at risk.

Public Health Devon and Devon county council said there had been reports of children using “purple drank” in Exeter and feeling “euphoric and dissociative effects”. Their warning added: “Other effects may include constricted pupils, slow or slurred speech, uncontrolled eye movement, droopy eyes, slowed heart rate, drowsiness, loss of balance, loss of co-ordination and paleness.

“There is a risk of overdose and this will be increased with alcohol. Even though the ingredients can be legally bought without a prescription, they can be very damaging when used above the recommended levels.”