SALEM – The Oregon State Senate voted today to limit young people’s access to a common substance found in cough suppressants and other over-the-counter medications.
Senate Bill 743 – which passed by a 26-0 vote on the Senate floor – makes it illegal to sell dextromethorphan, commonly known as DXM, to individuals younger than 18. The bill establishes fines for businesses that don’t comply and requires trade associations that represent manufacturers of products containing DXM to provide businesses with a list of those products. If a person appears to be younger than 25 years of age, the bill also requires the customer be asked to prove their age for purchase.
“This bill is designed to help lower the number of adolescents who are using cough medicines as a recreational drug,” said Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (D-NW Portland and Beaverton), who carried the bill. “DXM, though safe in small doses, can pose a serious threat that can lead to death, brain damage and several other health problems that can be prevented by keeping this substance out of the hands of unsupervised youth.”
DXM is the active ingredient most widely used in cough medicines in the United States and is available in more than 125 over-the-counter products that come in the form of capsules, liquids, lozenges and tablets. The drug is reported to be safe and effective when taken in accordance with instructions, but in recent years the drug has been abused by adolescents and young adults for its euphoria-inducing properties when it’s ingested at doses 10 to 20 times greater than those recommended.
The federal Food and Drug Administration states that misuse and overdose of DXM can cause death, as well as other serious adverse events such as brain damage, seizures, loss of consciousness and irregular heartbeat.
Senate Bill 743 now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.
