The abuse of dextromethorphan-based cough syrup: a pilot study of the community of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

Abstract

Drug abuse has been a national social problem in the United States for decades and is often complicated by the emergence of new types of abused drugs or new forms of abuse. In the late 1980s, the community of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania began to detect behavior among its teenagers that suggested a new form of drug abuse and thus a new social problem. The drug was dextromethorphan, used in cough syrup-principally Robitussin DM. The form of abuse is often referred to as "roboing" or "robo-copping." This paper presents the results of the first phase of a comprehensive investigation of this phenomenon in the Waynesboro school district. Data from a survey of school personnel indicate that abuse of cough syrup (Robitussin or other brands) has increased over the years and is increasingly perceived as a problem by the community.