What is Couch Syrup?

what is couch syrup

Couch Syrup, that’s right couch not cough, although it is in actuality cough syrup, refers to a specific kind of liquid cough medicine – that containing promethazine and codeine. This is a by-prescription-only medication that people have been using recreationally and abusing. This is not your typical over-the-counter cough syrup; couch syrup contains potent drugs that can lead to overdose and death.

Couch syrup has many other slang names such as purple drank, sizzurp, lean, syrup, drank, purple jelly, and Texas tea.

First called purple drank, couch syrup has been a popular recreational drug in the rap and hip hop community in the southern United States, originating in Houston, Texas. Couch syrup is made more palatable by being mixed with soft drinks such as Sprite or Mountain Dew. Purple drank gets its name from the purplish hue from the dye in the cough syrup.

Couch Syrup Can Be Fatal

Both the codeine and the more potent promethazine are depressants which mean that they slow down the functions of the Central Nervous System (CNS), namely respiration. When overdose occurs, breathing slows to a complete stop. The person goes into respiratory arrest and then cardiac arrest. This is when death occurs.

Just like with other CNS depressants, mixing couch syrup with alcohol greatly increases the risk of respiratory failure and death.

Notable Deaths

Couch syrup has been either a confirmed or suspected  cause of death among several well-known people. DJ Screw, who popularized the codeine-based drink, died of a codeine-promethazine-alcohol overdose on November 16, 2000, several months after the video to Three 6 Mafia’s single debuted.

Big Moe, one of DJ Screw’s successors died at age 33 in 2007, after suffering a heart attack and subsequently being in a coma. He was known to obsess over couch syrup and purple drank in his lyrics; this is apparent in his album titles: City of Syrup and Purple World. Needless to say, there was speculation that purple drank contributed to his death.

Couch Syrup and Alcoholism

According to the Urban Dictionary, couch syrup is “the liquor one hides in a couch (and throughout the house) while pretending to be sober.” This implies its relationship to an already well-known problem: alcoholism.

Signs of Alcoholism

If you are drinking couch syrup or alcohol and find that the following descriptions apply to you, then you should consider that your use is more than social or recreational.

If you:

  • can’t quit drinking or control how much alcohol you drink
  • need to drink more to get the same effect
  • have withdrawal symptoms if you stop drinking (nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety)
  • spend a lot of time drinking and recovering from drinking
  • have given up other activities in order to drink
  • keep drinking even though it cause problems in your relationships
  • keep drinking even though it is causing health problems

 Other red flags include:

  • Drinking in the morning and/or drinking alone
  • Switching from beer to wine because you think this will keep you from drinking or from getting drunk
  • Feeling guilty because of your drinking
  • Making excuses for your drinking
  • Buying alcohol from different stores and locations
  • Worrying that you won’t have enough alcohol for an evening, weekend, or holiday













Legal Ways to Get High

Legal Ways to Get High

Legal Ways to Get High


It’s become increasingly common, in recent years, for young people to search for legal ways to get high. Manufacturers of synthetic, “legal” drugs like spice and bath salts are raking in the cash by responding to that demand, and law enforcement officials are struggling to respond to the flood of legal drugs on the market.  The problem is that these so-called legal drugs can be highly dangerous, and young people around the country are being hospitalized for bad reactions to these “legal” highs.

Here are the some of the most popular legal ways to get high:

 1. Synthetic Marijuana– Legal pot is also known as Spice, K2, Genie Silver and Yucatan Fire. It is sold as “incense” and labeled “not for human consumption.” These herbal mixtures are infused with chemicals that activate the same receptors as marijuana. The side effects, however, are much more drastic. Smoking legal pot can produce a strong high as well as psychosis, rapid heartbeat, seizures, and even death. The American Association of Poison Control has observed over a 50% increase in calls related to legal pot this year compared to last.

2. Bath Salts – Bath salts are sold legally online and in drug paraphernalia stores under a variety of names, such as “Ivory Wave,” “Purple Wave,” “Red Dove,” “Blue Silk,” “Zoom,” “Bloom,” “Cloud Nine,” “Ocean Snow,” “Lunar Wave,” “Vanilla Sky,” “White Lightning,” “Scarface,” and “Hurricane Charlie.” Because formulations of bath salts change so often in an attempt to keep ahead of laws prohibiting their manufacture, very little is known about the chemical makeup of the drug. What we do know is that bath salts contain synthetic stimulant drugs of the amphetamine and cathinone classes, such as methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MPDV), mephedrone and pyrovalerone.   Many bath salt users compare their effects to methamphetamine. These drugs are typically administered orally, by insufflation, by inhalation, or by injection, with the worst outcomes apparently associated with snorting or intravenous administration.

Law enforcement officials are alarmed at the effects of these drugs, which have been known to cause paranoia and intense hallucinations. Emergency room personnel report that patients who have ingested bath salts are so highly agitated and violent that they sometimes require a whole medical team to restrain them. Sometimes even powerful sedatives are not sufficient in calming these people down. Bath started turning up regularly in the United States last year and have proliferated in recent months, alarming doctors, who say they have unusually dangerous and long-lasting effects.

3. Cough Medication: Cough formulations containing the drug dextromethorphane (DXM) are also used as a legal way to get high. DXM containing formulations are usually known on the street as “triple C’s” (as the medication is used to treat cold, cough, and congestion) and use of DXM is sometimes called “robo-tripping” (as the DXM containing medication Robotussin is commonly used). At high levels, DXM acts as a dissociative hallucinogenic. Some users say the effect is similar to those produced by ketamine and PCP. It can produce visual hallucinations, dissociations, excitement, and a loss of sense of time. DXM can also cause nausea, vomiting, and difficulty breathing.

Disclaimer: These were gathered from the websites various websites on the Internet and we do not condone or support any means of getting high; whether legal or illegal. Use at your own risk. This article is for informational purposes only.
