Lean drink is a highly addictive drink made like a cocktail using cough syrup and a soft drink. Its name comes from the fact that many people need to lean on things to avoid falling over when they drink it. Many young people start abusing the liquid codeine drink because it’s often easier to obtain than other drugs or alcoholic beverages. Lean gives a cheap, quick high with a flavor that the individual can customize to his or her liking.
The popularity of lean is evident when one looks at its longevity and span across various demographics, cultures, and levels of society. While it was initially more associated with poor African-American communities, it soon spread to white suburban youths despite efforts by law enforcement to keep it out of their communities. Eventually, some schools banned their students from wearing clothing with logos or writings associated with the drink.
Why Lean Drink Is So Popular
Lean drink rose to popularity on the streets. The public gained a strong awareness of it due to the common pop culture references about it, often found in songs by urban artists. It has many nicknames, including Purple Drank, Triple C, Robo, DXM, DEK, and Barr.
Many people who use lean add other ingredients to increase their high. PCP, cocaine, and hydrocodone are some common additives. Over-the-counter cough syrup sounds relatively harmless. However, when this syrup includes dextromethorphan (DXM) in large doses, it can give users the same effects as ketamine or PCP.
Lean drink has caused multiple deaths. Sadly, teens are among these individuals. Some of the side effects of lean drink include:
- Confusion
- Agitation
- Loss of consciousness
- Breathing problems
- Seizures
- Slow heart rate
- Death
The cost of lean drink addiction can be extreme. One of the most well-known deaths due to lean was San Diego safety Terrance Kiel. He was only 27 when he lost his life to lean drink addiction. He was driving under the influence of the drink and was in a fatal accident.
Many people have become enamored with the idea of drinking ‘lean’ or codeine syrup mixed into their beverage of choice. While it may seem like a strange phenomenon, the truth is that this habit has its roots in Houston’s rap music scene, where rappers celebrated getting high on lean for years before it picked up popularity across the country.
In the early 2000s, southern rapper Big Moe glorified lean heavily in his music. In particular, the song “Purple Stuff” captures the essence of a slow and hazy high that can come from Lean. Sadly, such high-level media exposure makes lean drink attractive to a wide audience.
Addiction to Lean Ingredients
Signs of trouble for lean users include frequent use of active ingredients, such as cough syrup, codeine or flu medications. Finding these kinds of over-the-counter medications in a person’s room, belongings or car can mean they have an addiction to the ingredients of this often purple drink. If these cough syrups or cold medications are missing from family medicine cabinets or seem to run out quickly, there’s a good chance that someone in the house has a lean addiction
Signs of lean abuse can vary. But some of these signs include:
- Acting high
- Depression or anxiety
- Mood swings
- Drowsiness
- Sleeping more than usual
- Apathy
- Doctor shopping for prescriptions
- Rehab for lean drink addiction
Lean drink addiction is like addiction to other drugs or alcohol, in that it’s often a sign of other co-occurring conditions. If you’re a lean user, you may suffer from mental illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, or ADD, among others. Lean drink addiction rehab must treat both the addiction and the underlying mental condition if one exists. By treating both at the same time, you can achieve lifelong recovery.
Lean Drink Addiction Rehab in Portland
Crestview Recovery in Portland, Oregon provides individualized care through the low client to staff ratios. This ratio gives you the attention you need for your strongest chance of lasting sobriety. Our approach takes clients like you from detox into aftercare. A wide range of addiction therapy services is available to help you learn as much as possible about living a sober life that is healthy, full, enriched and fun.
If you or someone you love are ready to stop using lean, other drugs, or alcohol, Crestview Recovery can provide the help you need. Call Crestview Recovery at 866.262.0531 to learn more about available addiction programs now. Through individual therapy and a custom program that we design just for you, you can gain freedom from lean.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
