Purple drank prevalence and characteristics of misusers of codeine cough syrup mixtures

• Published in: Addictive behaviors Vol. 38; no. 9; pp. 2445 - 2449
• Main Authors: Agnich, Laura E, Stogner, John M, Miller, Bryan Lee, Marcum, Catherine D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2013; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Addictions; Adolescent; Adult; African Americans; African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Alcoholic beverages; Antitussive Agents - adverse effects; Asian Americans - statistics & numerical data; Codeine; Codeine - adverse effects; Cold remedies; Cough - drug therapy; Cough syrup; CPHCS; Data Collection; Demography; European Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Female; Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Novel drugs; Opioid-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Promethazine; Promethazine - adverse effects; Psychiatry; Purple drank; Sex Distribution; Sexuality - statistics & numerical data; Soft drinks; Students - statistics & numerical data; United States - epidemiology; Universities; Urban areas; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult; Young adults; United States; Purple drank; Cough syrup; Novel drugs; Promethazine; CPHCS; Codeine
• ISSN: 0306-4603; 1873-6327
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.03.020

Abstract A mixture of codeine cough syrup with alcohol and/or a soft drink known as “purple drank” has gained media attention in recent years as a drug associated with professional athletes and southern rap music. The existing research on purple drank consumption has primarily utilized samples of African Americans residing in the Houston, Texas area. This is the first scholarly study of purple drank use outside of the Houston, Texas area among a general population of young adults, and indicates that purple drank use is not limited to African American males. The findings depict higher odds of the use of purple drank among other racial and ethnic groups, males, and homosexual, bisexual, and transgender college students from urban areas.