Double styrofoam cups have become an iconic representation of lean on social media sites. “Since superstars have started doing lean, everyone wants to do it,” junior Jackson Harter* said. Photo by Porter McLeod.
By ROBERT WALKER – Viewpoints Editor
Images of styrofoam cups filled with purple liquid have become commonplace on Instagram accounts of Clarke Central High School students, a trend fueled by the widespread use by rappers and other celebrities.
“Since superstars have started doing lean, everyone wants to do it,” junior Jackson Harter* said.
In 1960s Houston, a drink mixed with narcotic cold medicines and alcohol was created and popularized. The 2000s brought its own iteration what is today known as “lean”, a concoction of prescription codeine cough syrup and soda, the abuse of which can lead to catastrophic health effects.
“In the late 80s and 90s the main additions that were seen were alcohol and cocaine, now though in the last ten years it has been perscription drugs and opioid dependence,” Athens Area Commencement Center counselor Darrell Corder said.
The proliferation of celebrities drinking from styrofoam cups, the preferred codeine vessel, and references in rap songs has led to nationwide demand for lean. This can lead to so-called “doctor shopping”, or the act of going to different doctors attempting to obtain a codeine prescription, which is illegal in Georgia.
According to the Official Code of Georgia, “It is unlawful for any person: To acquire or obtain possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, subterfuge or theft.”
The CCHS administrative and security team takes possession of prescription drugs very seriously, and students caught with drugs on campus can expect serious punishment.
With the increased use of prescription drugs throughout the United States, it is projected that heroin use will increase in the coming years. “(Heroin) is the next step real from prescription drugs. It’s cheaper and is more potent and kids today have been desensitized to opiates because of how often they are prescribed,” Athens Commencement Center counselor Darrell Corder said. Graphic by Austin DeFoor.
“If they are caught with a prescription drug bottle that is not (prescribed) to them, we have to file a violation to the code of conduct, and from there they will be sent to a hearing,” principal Dr. Robbie P. Hooker said. “The punishment can also depend upon the amount found.”
Codeine is a prescription narcotic that comes in either pill or syrup form, and is derived from the same opium plant used to create heroin. Codeine is legal when it is prescribed by a medical doctor, but when abused, the recommended amount is doubled, or tripled in order to achieve the high that comes with it.
“Codeine is the same type of drug as heroin, so it’s very addictive and horrible for you health wise, and if you do it too often you can become physically addicted and then go through withdrawals like you see with heroin,” school nurse Megan Cole said.
Dangerous health effects associated with lean include nausea, vomiting and suppression of pain. The most serious risks include strokes or death.
“Codeine and other opioids present a high risk of fatal overdose. Mixing with alcohol greatly increases this risk,” according to the National Institute for Drug Abuse. “Deaths from prescription opioid medications outnumber deaths from all other drugs (including cocaine and heroin), and codeine-promethazine cough syrup has been linked to the overdose deaths of some prominent rap musicians.”
With these death risks, some experts call into question the very existence of the drugs, and the manner in which they are prescribed. There is little margin for error concerning addiction and death.
“I think that for that cancer patient who is in so much pain, these prescription opiates are useful, but there needs to be policy changes. It needs to be less accessible; physicians, pharmacists need to tighten the reigns,” Corder said.
While experts insist that lean has addictive and dangerous properties, users tend to ignore these warnings and continue to use the drug.
“It’s not addictive at all, and while it is dangerous, I’m not really worried about it. You could die from anything,” Harter said.
Codeine use has been popularized through rappers such as DJ Screw, who was killed by the drink, Lil Wayne, who has suffered seizures because of it, 2 Chainz, who was arrested for it and Schoolboy Q, who admits that he is still addicted to the drug. Due to the recent increase in demand, people anxious to try lean have used other drugs as a substitute for codeine.
“Some people think that they’re doing (lean), like some people use NyQuil. That’s not real lean, people really just don’t know where to get it,” Harter said.
Because of its close relation to heroin, one out of 15 people who take non-prescribed drugs will abuse heroin in the future, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
“(Heroin) is the next step really from prescription drugs. It’s cheaper, and is more potent and kids today have been desensitized to opiates because of how often they are prescribed,” Corder said.
According to Cole, heroin is substantially more dangerous and addicting than prescription drugs.
“At least with prescription medicines you know you’re getting a specific dose and what’s in it, with heroin it could be mixed with any number of things that could damage your body,” Cole said.
*The student featured in this article wished to remain anonymous, so the pseudonym Jackson Harter said.
