[I will post this in each of the harm reduction forums, so that there is a better chance that a parent will actually see it]

There has been a lot of talk about DXM in the media recently. The drug has been severely misrepresented; the articles and news stories that appear paint DXM as a very dangerous drug; this is not necessarily true. Whilst it is a fact that the long-term effects of dissociative drugs on humans has not been thoroughly tested, there are much worse drugs – both in terms of addictiveness and adverse effects – that your child could be using. DXM is relatively safe to use, it doesn’t put a huge amount of stress on the body, and it isn’t physically addictive (though that doesn’t mean that it is impossible to become dependent on it).

First of all, DXM is a very difficult drug to overdose on. It is almost physically impossible to get enough of it into your system to cause serious problems. Some of the stories you hear in the press are misleading. When people die from overdoses involving DXM, there are usually other drugs involved. When using DXM, it is important that you only use products that contain DXM alone. Sometimes, other substances are present in over-the-counter cough remedies; it is these substances that are dangerous when used in combination with DXM, not DXM by itself. By far the most dangerous of these additional ingredients is Chlorpheneramine Maleate, an antihistamine which is found in Coricidin Cough and Cold (known as Triple Cs). When taken in large enough amounts, this combination can be fatal. Others include Gauifenesin, Pseudoephedrine and Acetaminophen. Basically, if you steer clear of these substances, you will not be putting your body in immediate danger.

There are different views on the addictiveness of DXM. Some people seem to be able to use it heavily, and stop at will, whilst others can find it very difficult to quit. It is an easy and cheap drug to obtain, and so temptation is never far away. Whilst you can’t become physically addicted to DXM as you could to, say, heroin, it is possible to become psychologically dependent on it. If you think your child has a problem with DXM (there is a big difference between occasional use and long-term abuse), the most important thing you can do is support your child. If you get angry and don’t offer them the support they need, you are unlikely to be able to help them. I advise you to take a step back; it isn’t the end of the world. Many people have problems with substance abuse early on in their lives, and grow up to be happy, productive people. Make sure your child knows that you love and support them. Drug addiction is a difficult thing to go through, the chances are that they will screw up and start using again at some point. If you just show anger and disapproval, this will not help. Just try not to panic, and be there for them.

The effects of DXM, other than a slight to moderate loss of motor control, are largely psychological. It changes the way the user thinks significantly. It causes a feeling which has been described as somewhere between an alcohol and a cannabis high. In high enough doses, it can cause strong hallucinations, and distortion of vision. It affects the brain’s decision making centres, and heavy or prolonged use can cause symptoms similar to mild psychosis. It is probably a bad idea to use it if you have pre-existing mental problems. It is also a very bad idea to drive a car, or operate any kind of potentially dangerous machine. If you use your common sense, none of these effects need be dangerous.

If you want more information on DXM, the newspapers and the TV are not the most reliable of sources. For the most part, there are very few facts, and lots of sensationalised scare stories. As with any subject, it is important to get a balanced view of the situation. You will not get this in the mainstream media. There are a lot of horror stories going around, but most of them omit certain facts. DXM itself is a relatively safe drug. No drug is without its dangers; every substance must be treated with respect if it is to be used safely.

I feel that this post (and the duplicates in the other harm reduction forums) should be stickied.. unfortunately, because phpBB still sucks, I cannot figure out how to do it :/

I think we should extend this into a kind of project. I know it has been discussed before, but we, as DXM users, are in a unique position to provide harm reduction information, and to provide parents with a better idea of what DXM is all about (which was the intention of my little essay). Off the top of my head, we could make a little guide for new users, about how to use DXM safely and responsibly, giving information on what the chemical actually does to the brain (Greyspook could help with this), we could make a guide for addiction and how to overcome it (recognising when you've got a problem, what to do about it, tips from people who have been there), along with my parents bit (if I have missed anything out or made any glaring errors, please let me know).

I remember when we decided to make our own FAQ, I think we took too much on there. We could provide some information without making it a huge project. There are lots of people here who have experiences which others may find useful. It would be great to have unbiased, no-bullshit information on DXM for users and their parents. I'm not talking about a huge project, just a sticky in the appropriate forums.

I have put a bit more thought into this, and I think we should have a sticky thread in each of the harm reduction forums, which contains information that is relevant to that forum. For instance:

Harm Reduction
Mini FAQ on DXM:
• A brief explanation of the drug and its properties, how it affects the brain etc.
• Tips on what to expect from it; balanced view of the pros and cons of use
• A warning about the dangers of using products which contain other ingredients; list of currently available products containing DXM alone

Addiction
A guide to recognising and overcoming DXM addiction, with tips from people who have first-hand experience.

Section for Parents
My ‘DXM Information for Parents’ post, with any appropriate additions or amendments.

[If there is anything I have missed out, please feel free to add to this list]

I think it would be a positive thing, to flesh out the harm reduction aspect of the site. The important thing is to keep it fairly neutral in tone. We shouldn’t encourage or discourage, we should just provide people with the information needed to make a balanced decision.

I would be happy to take responsibility for such a project; i.e. receiving the information from people who want to contribute and putting it in order.

I spent a lot of time at such an introduction to DXM one time at another forum because it was a marijuana forum and a lot of misinformation was being passed around. Then the forum changed software and lost all of the archives a month later. I was pissed. I left.

Nobody cares. Nobody knows. Irrelevant so fuck yourselves.

yeh, lets make a "players guide" for a drug, like its a fucking video game, figure shit out for yourself nigger noobs

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ja, the intro on the website is dumb. The worst part is the use of "epidemic." Most teens refuse to try and a lot are really against it (atleast in my area). I'm talking about people who started smoking weed at 10 and get withdrawls from it if they don't don't smoke it for one day, ex-meth heads, massive alcoholics and shit like that. One guy told me that if I went to this one party on it he'd punch me in the face, yet he was an alcoholic.

Most people don't get DXM.

i admit, DMX is cool in some ways

but the truth is that most DMX headz are in denial about DMX

Good thing we do drugs and not listen that one hiphop artist who burned his dogs