Don't know why I posted this in here, but there was a very interesting article in today's Chronicle about the syrup abuse situation here in Houston. The thought of mixing codeine-laden cough syrup with soda pop in order to get high makes my stomach a little queasy, so I doubt I would ever partake. Anyone want to share their syrup stories? http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory2/3311840 'Syrup' abuse rising in Houston Pharmacists' trial spotlights illicit use of the cough medicine By HARVEY RICE Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle The abuse of a codeine-fortified cough syrup is so widespread among youths here that Houston has become nationally known in the rap culture as "the City of Syrup," a local researcher says. Prosecutors will focus on the illegal distribution of the medication in the trial of six pharmacists, beginning today in a Houston federal court. The pharmacists are the first to be prosecuted here on accusations of illegally dispensing the highly addictive prescription cough syrup codeine with promethazine. The syrup has been used at least once by about 30 percent of teenagers in the Houston area, says Ron Peters, a professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. The figures from a yet-unpublished study based on a 2004 survey show an increase from Peters' earlier study, published in 2003, which concluded that 25 percent of teenagers at six alternative schools in Harris County had used the drug at least once. Peters did not name the schools. About 10 percent of the teens in the earlier study said they had used the drug in the past 30 days. "Anything over 4 percent in the last 30 days is a major drug problem," Peters said. Those figures may be too conservative, said Troy Jefferson, who heads a drug treatment center for children and adolescents at Riverside General Hospital in Houston. Jefferson said that, out of more than 5,000 teens treated at the clinic in the past seven years, as many as 35 percent had tried prescription cough syrup more than once. Houston Police Department spokesman Lt. Robert Manzo said the cough syrup is "extremely popular," but he declined to comment about enforcement efforts. A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman declined to comment because of the pending trial, in which DEA agents are expected to testify. One of Jefferson's patients, Austin Hewitt, 16, of Humble, said he and his friends mixed the syrup with Sprite or a variation of Sprite called Remix. "It's pretty popular," Hewitt said, adding that the cough syrup is easy to get. Jury selection begins today in the retrial of pharmacists John David Wiley III, 40, and Anthony Dwayne Essett, 38, co-owners of I-10 East Pharmaceutical Services; Otukayode Adeleke Otufale, 44, owner of Med Stop Pharmacy at 6440 Hillcroft; Isaac Simeon Achobe, 50, owner of American Choice Pharmacy at 8449 W. Bellfort; and Chicha Kazembe Combs, 29, and Andre Dion Brown, 37, co-owners of Mason Road Pharmacy in Katy. U.S. District Judge David Hittner ordered the retrial after a jury in May was unable to reach a verdict. The six are accused in a 170-count indictment of illegally dispensing thousands of gallons of the cough syrup and thousands of tablets of hydrocodone, a synthetic narcotic used as a painkiller. They also are charged with conspiracy and money laundering. Hydrocodone, more often known by the brand name Vicodin, is a widely abused prescription drug that is always in demand on the illicit market, Peters said. But the widespread use of codeine with promethazine is widely believed to have begun in Houston, along with the popularity of a type of rap music developed by local record producer D.J. Screw, who died in 2000 of an overdose of the drug he promoted in his songs. The producer, whose real name was Robert Earl Davis Jr., developed a slowed-down form of rap called "screw" that extols the use of prescription cough syrup known on the street by such names as "syrup, lean, purple, syzurp, drank or purple jelly." Now, Houston rappers such as nationally known Mike Jones lace their "screw" music with such lyrics as, "I keep that purple stuff in my cup," a reference to mixing cough syrup with soft drinks. Peters said screw music and the abuse of the cough syrup has spread nationwide and into Canada. The popularity has given Houston nicknames such as "City of Syrup and City of Lean," he said. "Now, Houston is setting the trend for the drug culture and it is being spread through rap," he said. "This is something that is a major problem throughout the United States." Hewitt and K.D. Garner, 31, a University of Houston student who says "syrup" is widely used in his neighborhood, say the drug is most often made available by unscrupulous doctors. Peters said users sometimes obtain a legitimate prescription by faking a serious cough. The pharmacists' attorneys argued during the first trial that their clients didn't know they were filling fake prescriptions based on names lifted from a phone book by a doctor running a prescription mill. Dr. Callie Hall Herpin, who pleaded guilty, testified during the first trial that another doctor showed her how to start a practice based on illegally dispensing controlled drugs. Two office workers, who also pleaded guilty, admitted that they prepared prescriptions from computer-generated lists of phony patients that Herpin testified she signed without reading.
This story is at least ten years late. Houstonians start or promote weird drug trends. The worst is "water". That's dipping your joint in embalming fluid.
never have mixed Tussionex with soda, but damn is it good stuff - tastes like candy and really sends you into the stratosphere i've only ever used it when prescribed by my doctor though
I need the Star Trek universal translator when listening to rap music. Then again I need the same translator when watching any British movie or television show.
Yeah. DJ Screw od'd on the stuff iirc. Houston Press did a story on it a few years ago: http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2001-04-26/news/feature.html They also had this nugget about a certain Houston songwriter: "A persistent legend floats around that Van Zandt once lived above a pharmacy. He is said to have knocked a hole in the floor over the back room and used a fishing rod to angle for codeine." http://www.houstonpress.com/Issues/2005-05-05/music/racket.html
"in the sky, my my my like that Johnny Gill cause I'm gettin high, simpin drank, poppin pills with that boy Pokey and you know we're stayin crunk back in the game I swung red and popped the trunk with that boy rick in the nina eight coming down fixing set it straight and I got screw tape in your store nearest cause i'm real now i'm in the Source and the picture kills standing up high, ke ke in a stride, knocking doors down and they can't take my pride" drank=cough syrup crunk=hype popped the trunk=Houston trend in which cars are accessorized with remote to make trunk go up and down, usually with neon lights inside nina eight=oldsmobile ninety eight screw tape=mixed music tape characterized by slowed down beats Source=one of first magazines focused solely on Hip Hop
I can't help but laugh everytime I'm reminded that DJ Screw died from a cough syrup overdose. I'm gonna slowly pour out some syzurp for him and the other dead homies.
There's a feature article in "Rolling Stone" this month about the Houston scene blowing up. Houston is the "Seattle of Rap". "Screwed and Chopped", the sound created by Houston rappers is the next big thing, apparently. It must be, considering that even I've heard of guys like Mike Jones, Bun B and Paul Wall. MTV even featured Houston on "My Block" last month or the month before.
It is pretty popular, but I've never heard it called Syrup. I've always heard it referred to as "lean." It's commonly mixed with orange sunkist soda. Too much of it can really do a number on you.
The active ingredient in Nyquil that messes you up is DXM (Dextromethorphan). Same thing thats in certain types of robutussin and other cough meds. I've heard of people ingesting large amounts of DXM (like entire bottles of Nyquil) to get the full hallucinogenic effects. I've never intentionally tried to get high off the stuff, and I've heard it can be pretty dangerous as it can cause severe dehydration. DXM is commonly put in "bunk" ecstacy tabs in place of MDMA.
He didn't OD on cough syrup. It is well recognized by the rappers that were close to him and around him at the time of his death, that his syrup was poisoned.
And Tupac is still alive, he lives somewhere in the Bahamas. Believe, people die from this stuff all the time especially when it is combined with other drugs. I have a friend who grew up next door to me who had an extreme weight problem who died from too much "Lean".
Here's my theory, maybe those guys can't except the fact that a substance they promote on damn near every song they put out killed the guy responsible for their popularity and the popularity of said substance.
Definitely the rappers are "still sippin lean". There was another article about how Houston is a city that's becoming more well-known as a fashion/style center/place. I'm proud to be a Houstonian. 2nd fattest city. World center for frisbees. So they just drink it? I don't believe that 30% of all students in Houston have tried it..maybe 30% in alternative schools. And screwed/chopped music isn't really that great imo...I love our rappers though