Simitian Bill Prohibiting Sale of Cold and Cough Medicine to Minors Signed into Law

After Wednesday it will be prohibited to sell over-the-counter cold and cough medicines containing dextromethorphan (DXM) to minors.

The sale was banned after California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 514 by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto). California is now the first state in the nation to have enacted such legislation.

According to WebMD, one in ten teenagers say they’ve used DXM to get high. According to Simitian, it has become a popular recreation drug known by the street names DXM, robo, skittles, Triple C, Vitamin C, dex, and tussin.

“Hard to believe,” said Simitian in a statement about Senate Bill 514, “but a significant number of kids are abusing over the counter medications for a nasty, life threatening high.  It’s cheap, legal and easy to buy. Prohibiting sale to minors will limit the opportunity for misuse,

When used propertly, the drug serves as an effective ingredient in over-the-counter cold and cough medicines. Yet when taken in large quantities, it causes intoxication and hallucinations.

The idea for the law was born during Simitian’s 2004 “There Oughta Be A Law” contest. It was proposed by Wayne Benitez and Ron Lawrence, both serving the Palo Alto Police Department at the time. While the bill initially didn’t pass through the Legislature in the face of opposition, Simitian successfully reintroduced it this year.