5
DANGEROUS TEEN TRENDS
D angerous
By Lauren Shanley
High school alcohol and drug use is on the decline. But, older
kids are finding dangerous ways to push boundaries. Here
are 7 of the most frightening new teen trends.
I-dosing
316 SE 3rd Street • Aledo, IL
309-582-7827
“We are proud to be a drug free
workplace and we proudly support
ABUSE prevention in our high schools.”
Serving Mercer County since 1987
309-582-3111
Photo Source: www.redorbit.com
In this age of technology, it’s
not surprising that entrepreneurs
are trying to create a way to
get high online. The result is a
phenomenon called “I-dosing,”
which attempts to alter consciousness via sound. The
Internet craze has teens plugging
in their headphones to listen to
downloadable MP3s that are said
to have effects akin to getting high on actual drugs. There are various tracks designed to elicit
the same “high” as specific drugs. Anywhere from five to 30 minutes long, the tracks consist
of binaural beats, in which the tone of one frequency is played into the right ear and a slightly
different frequency is played in the left ear. While some parents have expressed concern that
the trend could lead to future use of other narcotics, researchers say that I-dosing itself is
harmless.
“We are proud to be a drug
free workplace!”
1600 SE 5th Street • Aledo, IL
Mercer County
Coroner
Aledo, IL
309-582-7756
“I am proud to support ABUSE
prevention in my community!”
888-977-6637
205 SW 9th Ave. • Aledo, IL
“We are proud to support the
fight for a drug free Illinois.”
20
Photo Source: www.redorbit.com
Purple drank
Popularized in the late nineties rap
scene, purple drank has been abused by
teens for decades. Rap music is still peppered with references to the substance,
and more teens have been brewing the
concoction at home. By adding cough
syrup with codeine to a soft drink
and candy (usually Sprite and Jolly
Ranchers), tweens and teens create
what they consider a quick remedy for
tension, anxiety, and aggression. The
drink can be made with the over-thecounter medications like Robitussin DM,
which contains dextromethorphan. Normally used as a cough suppressant, in large doses this substance causes hallucinations. A single
use can be lethal to an inexperienced user. Other possible side effects in clude drowsiness,
inability to concentrate, slowed physical activity, constipation, nausea, vomiting, and slowed
breathing. I-dosing
| Illinois Winter 2014 | abusemagazine.org
Source: www.greatschools.org/parenting/4503-dangerous-teen-trends.gs