Abuse by kids may lead to limiting access to codeine
The widespread use of cough syrups to get high has authorities looking at raising its scheduling status
As South Africans, some in primary school, continue to misuse codeine-based medicines for quick highs, the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority is scrutinising data related to the sale of codeine products to determine whether cough syrups should be up-scheduled.
The authority said while complaints about the misuse of codeine products had not increased in the past six months, it did not mean that addicted South Africans were not abusing these substances.
This comes as Gauteng police probe the deaths of two Vaal University of Technology students whose bodies were found at their residence this week.
Reports indicate that the two young women had fallen ill after mixing alcohol and cough syrup.
According to the American Addiction Centers cough syrups have been widely abused for “years, especially by adolescents who want to get high or drunk without stealing alcohol or paying for illicit drugs ”.
One of the ways that people “abuse codeine cough syrups is by mixing them into alcoholic beverages or non-alcoholic sodas, creating a dangerously intoxicating mix with several nicknames.
The most famous names are “lean ’, purple drank ’, syrup and ‘ ‘ ‘ ’ sizzurp ’.
‘ These mixed drinks have “been popularised by rappers and pop stars.”
Regulatory authority spokesperson Yuven Gounden said the body was analysing codeine sales data.
He said once this process was completed a decision would be taken about whether to upschedule codeine products, which would make it less accessible.
The authority] is working in collaboration with the police, SA Pharmacy Council, Health Professions Council of SA, manufacturers and wholesales to block illegal sales of codeine containing products on the supply chain of medicines .”
According to data from the SA Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (Sacendu), of the 9,268 persons currently admitted to 84 substance abuse treatment centres/programmes across the country, 332 (3.6%) are receiving treatment for non-medicinal use of codeine-containing medicines. And more than a third (125) of these are in Gauteng.
Amos Masango, head of the SA Pharmacy Council (SAPC) said: I think we must indicate
“that the source of codeine, and other over-the-counter medicines that first may be abused, is not only pharmacies. Abusers of these substances may get these medicines from counterfeit medicines distributors on the black market ’, other
‘ dispensing facilities, and rogue pharmacy professionals.” Masango said SAPC had several
“mechanisms to ensure that pharmacies and pharmacy professionals do not engage in acts that may endanger the lives of communities.
While we may deregister a “pharmacist and/or prevent them from practising the profession, what eventually happens to a pharmacy that does not comply rests with the department of health and the South African Health Products Regulatory.
”
He said up-scheduling codeine may have some effect on the abuse, but will not
“completely eliminate the challenge ”. This is because in the
“absence of a universal database/registry that can be accessed by all dispensaries (pharmacies, doctors and clinics) patients can still engage in doctor/pharmacy hopping “” (the practice of purchasing the maximum dosage from different channels).
Another challenge with up scheduling “is that having to go through a doctor for symptoms such as dry cough will increase the burden on the healthcare system and also increase the cost of health to patients who really need codeine-containing medicines [what could have cost under R100 will now increase more than fivefold due to consultation fees]. Furthermore, studies conducted “in countries that upscheduled codeine indicate that there was no impact on the abuse situations following such action,” said Masango.
Sam Pillay, head of the Durban-based Anti-Drug Forum, said codeine was popular among school children including those in primary school.
When their behaviour seems deviant or different, the principal sends the child with the parent to us for testing.
We do tests on him or her. The kids who are doing the lean will come up as opioid positive.
It s ongoing. It is prevalent in “’
Wentworth and Chatsworth. It s not easily detectable, so a lot of kids are experimenting,” said Pillay.