Purple drank

Purple drank is a slang term for a concoction which includes a prescription-strength cough syrup used in a manner inconsistent with its labeling, thus making it a recreational drug. The mixture became popular in the hip hop community in the southern United States in the 1990s, originating in Houston.

The prescription-strength cough syrup used in purple drank contains codeine and promethazine (not to be confused with dextromethorphan; DXM). The cough syrup, used in doses much higher than medically recommended, is typically mixed with ingredients such as the soft drinks Sprite or Mountain Dew and optionally "a Jolly Rancher hard fruit candy thrown in for extra sweetness." The purplish hue of purple drank comes from dyes in the cough syrup. The amount of cough syrup used "can exceed up to 25 times the recommended dose." The concoction is "Typically consumed out of Styrofoam cups".

There are numerous slang terms for purple drank, including sizzurp,lean,syrup,drank,barre,purple jelly,Texas tea,dirty Sprite, and Tsikuni.

The physiological effects of purple drank on the user is to produce mild "euphoric side effects", which are accompanied by "motor-skill impairment, lethargy, drowsiness, and a dissociative feeling from all other parts of the body". Houston author Lance Scott Walker noted that the super-sweet combination of soda, cough syrup, and Jolly Ranchers provides a flavor and mouthfeel which stays on the tongue for an extended duration. This phenomenon is often appealing to first-time users. Purple drank is often used in combination with alcohol and/or other drugs.

In an article following the hospitalization of the rapper Lil Wayne alleged to be related to purple drank, the Los Angeles Times spoke to physician and hospitalist Dr. George Fallieras, on the hazards of the concoction. Fallieras stated that in its intended usage, "The codeine in the medicine serves as a pain reliever and also suppresses coughing. A second drug in the cough syrup, known as promethazine, is used as an antihistamine and commonly used to treat motion sickness and nausea. It’s also a bit of a sedative—employed partly to keep people from drinking too much of the stuff. This is a very common cough syrup that, when taken in appropriately prescribed quantities, is quite safe."

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