Misuse of OTC cold and cough medications: New data from NSDUH

Misuse of over-the-counter (OTC) cold and cough medications containing dextromethorphan (DXM) has become an increasing concern. When used accordingly to the directions on the label, medications that contain DXM produce few side effects and have a long history of safety, but when used in large amounts they can produce euphoria and adverse side effects. DXM abusers describe effects ranging from mild distortions of color and sound to visual hallucinations, to "out-of-body" dissociative sensations and loss of motor control. The 2006 the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) incorporated new questions about the misuse of OTC cold and cough medications. This presentation will provide the first large-sample-based estimates of prevalence and incidence of misuse of these medications in the general U.S. population aged 12 and older. It will examine variations in prevalence by demographic group and geographic area, particular cold and cough products reported as being misused, characteristics of new users, trends in initiation over time, and use of other illicit drugs and alcohol by individuals who misuse these medications.

This presentation is part of the proposed session titled Using Population and Facility Data to Understand Emerging Substance Abuse and Mental Health Phenomena: New Findings from SAMHSA's Office of Applied Studies, chaired by Anna Marsh.