Every day, it seems like a new drug hits the streets. It’s hard for teens and parents alike to separate all of them. Over the past couple of years, one drug that’s becoming popular is lean. But, what is lean and why is it so popular today?
What Is Lean?
Lean or sizzurp is a mix of prescription-strength cough syrup and soda. But why do teens drink prescription-strength cough syrup? The main reason is that one of the most common ingredients in it is codeine. This addictive painkiller has a similar effect on the brain as heroin.
Why Do People Add Soda to Lean?
In general, cough syrup doesn’t taste very good to sip let alone drink. Teens use soda, Jolly Ranchers, and other candies to flavor the cough syrup so that the mixture is easier to drink. Because of that, teens often lose track of how much they consume.
Why the Sudden Rise in Lean Abuse?
There are a few reasons why teens turn to lean. First, prescription-strength cough syrup is fairly easy for them to get. In fact, it makes codeine one of the easiest-to-obtain painkillers on the market. Many parents have leftover prescription cough syrup sitting around the house from previous colds.
Second, many famous rappers and musicians sing or are open about drinking lean. Lil Wayne found himself in the hospital after overdosing on lean. Some other celebrities that struggle or did struggle with codeine include:
- Gucci Mane
- Pimp C
- Justin Bieber
- 2 Chainz
- Big Moe
In some cases, such as with Big Moe, codeine addiction eventually causes death. Despite how dangerous the drug is, many people continue to drink it at parties. The concoction continues to grow in popularity with teens.
What Are the Dangers?
Many dangers come with taking too much codeine. Some of the most common include memory loss, seizures, and hallucinations. However, death is also a potential side effect.
Codeine causes respiratory and central nervous system problems as well. People who take too much codeine end up having problems with their lungs and heart. In most cases, they die of a heart attack after overdosing on on the drug.
Don’t Let Codeine Ruin Your Life
At Zelus Recovery, we aim to help teens and young adults overcome drug addiction. If you or a loved one suffers from prescription drug abuse, we can help. A few of the programs that we offer include:
Don’t let drug addiction ruin your young life. Let us show you the way to overcome lean addiction. Reach out to us today at 208.518.0797 to retake control of your life.
