"Purple Drank" (Codeine and Promethazine Cough Syrup): A Systematic Review of a Social Phenomenon with Medical Implications.
In the early 1990s, several studies reported the misuse of codeine and promethazine hydrochloride cough syrup. Since then, the combination of this pharmaceutical, together with sprite or alcohol, known on the streets as "purple drank" or "lean", has become a popular drug among rap singers who promote its tranquilizing and euphoric effects through their music and videos. This review examines the "purple drank" phenomenon, taking into consideration its clinical and social implications. The study was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science as search engines, applying several inclusion and exclusion criteria and the string "Purple AND drank", resulting in 138 records. Seven papers that met our criteria were found. The risk of bias assessment, when applicable, was also considered, resulting in a low level of risk. Epidemiological data highlighted a heterogeneous diffusion of the misuse of this mixture, which is not exclusively linked to a specific type of user (African-American teenagers, athletes, and rappers), as previously reported in American newspapers and in the social media. New digital tools should be taken into consideration for further social and medical evaluations of this phenomenon.
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D000293:Adolescent D000996:Antitussive Agents D003061:Codeine D003371:Cough D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D011398:Promethazine D061108:Social Media D055815:Young Adult
Purple Drank codeine abuse opioids promethazine abuse social subgroups