PURPLE DRANK: AN OLD PHENOMENON RETURNS.

Abstract

Purple drank (PD) also known as "lean" or "sizzurp", is a recreational drug typically containing codeine and promethazine hydrochloride, often mixed with soda or alcohol. This drug is not new, in fact it was used in Texas in the 1960s, and became widely popular in the 1990s especially among adolescents and young adults, becoming the "poor man's drug" because it was readily available and not expensive. Several studies suggest that the number of PD abusers today is increasing, and the underestimation of this phenomenon may be related to the fact that PD components are easily available in pharmacies.