The children bought the drugs from an online store that marketed the Snurfs as a natural remedy composed of three herbs - Fevizia, Palenzia and De la Amazon. However, no such herbs exist.
Available online since 2005, snurfs may contain Dextromethorphan, an ingredient in over-the-counter cough suppressants such as Robitussin.
Dextromethorphan is very popular among the youngest teens, according to Dr. Deborah Levine of New York's Bellevue Hospital. She said that middle-schoolers often take many times the recommended dose of cough syrups, risking serious toxicities.
"Talk to your kids," Dr. Levine said. "They should know these are serious medicines. Injuries and deaths can occur."
Labels: cough_syrup, drug_abuse, internet
Posted By: Aspen Education Group