E-drug: Codeine in cough mixtures
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[sent by Claudio Schuftan to Afronets on behalf of Mohamed Idris.
Crossposted to e-drug. BS]
Dear Friends,
The lure of lucrative profits has led to the abuses in sales of cough
mixtures containing the drug codeine. These cough preparations
are being indiscriminately sold to vulnerable targets, with drug
addicts and youths being the prime victims.
These mixtures are intended for use as a cough suppressant and
are deemed harmless in the public eye. However, it must be noted
that the active ingredient, codeine, is a narcotic drug and its effects
resemble those of morphine. It has the potential to cause addictive,
or habit-forming, dependency. A narcotic drug is dangerous in large
doses, causing stupor, coma, convulsions or death. Withdrawal
symptoms such as stomach cramps, muscle aches and pains,
nausea, anxiety, feelings of fear, craving, weakness and body chills
can occur following indiscriminate use.
The abuse of codeine cough mixture sales supports the addiction
habits of drug addicts. There is no good reason to justify the use of
these narcotic cough mixtures as there are safer alternative
treatments available. Furthermore, in many cases a cough is
beneficial, an automatic reflex that the body employs to rid itself of
accumulated phlegm in the chest.
Crimes involving other narcotics such as heroin and marijuana
result in harsh legal penalties for the offenders. CAP believes that
similar strong measures are needed to curb yet another ugly facet
of drug-pushing and addiction.
CAP has been calling for a ban on the sale of this narcotic
medication. Instituting a ban will allow powers to pass to other
agencies such as the police. The harsher punitive actions that
follow will act as another deterrent in the control of drug abuse.
Some countries, like Egypt and Nepal, have taken such strong
measures. We would like to hear of the situation in other countries,
namely:
1 Is there a ban on the sale of codeine cough mixtures in your
country, and if so, what were the circumstances which led to such a
ban?
2. If no ban exists, how is the sale of codeine cough mixtures
controlled?
We would appreciate any information you can share with us.
Kireen
on behalf of:
S.M. Mohamed Idris, President
Consumers Association of Penang
228, Jalan Macalister
10400 Penang, Malaysia
mailto:kireenmm@tm.net.my
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