Wikipedia

Lean (drug)

"Purple Drank" redirects here. For the album by Indo G, seePurple Drank (album).

Leanorpurple drank(known bynumerous local and street names) is apolysubstance drinkused as arecreational drug.It is prepared by mi xingprescription-gradecough or cold syrupcontaining anopioid drugand ananti-histamine drugwith asoft drinkand sometimeshard candy.The beverage originated inHoustonas early as the 1960s and is popular inhip hop culture,especially within theSouthern United States.[1]Codeine/promethazinesyrup is usually used to make lean, but other syrups are also used.

Lean
TypePolysubstance drink
Region of originSouthern United States
Introduced1960s
ColourPurple, red, green, or yellow; varies based on cough syrup brand and soda mixer
IngredientsOpioidcough syrup,soft drink
Related productsDextromethorphan syrup

Users of lean are at risk ofaddiction,and serious complications includerespiratory depression,respiratory arrest,andcardiac arrest.Lean isespecially dangerous when consumed with alcohol.

Names

The termleanrefers to the fact that users may have difficulty standing up straight while under the influence of the drug.[2]"Purple drank" references its typicallypurplehue, as the cough syrups employed are often purple in color, and anAfrican-American Vernacular Englishterm for an alcoholic beverage orintoxicating drink.Other names include "syrup/sizzurp", "jelly", "Tussin/Tuss'","barre ","Wock'","Act'","Texas tea", "mud", "dirty Sprite", and "tsikuni".[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]In areas where lean had not yet been introduced, codeine-based cough syrup mixed with pills was called "juice and beans".[10]Lean is also sometimes referred to by its color in slang, usually purple (or "purp'"), but can also be red, green, or yellow based on the manufacturer.

Preparation

Ingredients for creating lean, includingcodeine-promethazinecough syrup,Jolly Ranchercandies, andSprite.Note the label on the bottled syrup, printed with instructions on how to prepare the lean. Some of the syrup has been decanted into a plastic container.
A spoonful of promethazine/​codeine syrup showing the characteristic purple color

Typically, the base for lean is a strongprescriptioncold medicine,specifically cough syrup that contains bothpromethazineandcodeine.Other preparations usecodeine/guaifenasin,hydrocodone/chlorphenamine,hydrocodone/APAP,andhydrocodone/homatropine.Over-the-countercold medicines that containdextromethorphan(often paired withguaifenasinoracetaminophen) as the active ingredient have also been used, as they do not require acquiring a prescription.[11][12]

To create a drinkable mixture, the cough syrup is combined with soft drinks, especially fruit-flavored drinks such asSprite,Mountain Dew,orFanta,and is typically served in twofoam cups.[13][14]Ahard candy,usually aJolly Rancher,may be added to give the mixture a sweeter flavor.[1]Masking the undesired taste may impair judgment of thepotency,which is a factor inoverdosing.

Effects

The physiological effects of lean on the user are to produce mild "euphoric side effects", which are accompanied by "motor-skill impairment, lethargy, drowsiness, and a dissociative feeling from all other parts of the body."[14]It has been suggested that the super-sweet combination of soda, cough syrup, and Jolly Ranchers provides a flavor andmouthfeel,which stays on the tongue for an extended duration. This phenomenon is often appealing to first-time users.[15]Lean is often used in combination withalcoholand/or other drugs.[14]

Hazards

When taken in prescribed quantities, codeine-promethazine is quite safe,[16]but dangers arise in higher doses since promethazine is a depressant of thecentral nervous system(CNS), and codeine is arespiratory depressant.When codeine is taken in very large amounts, it can cause one to stop breathing.[16]Using alcohol and other drugs alongside lean increases the chance of respiratory depression.[16]It seems that the concoction does not causeseizuresitself, but increases their likelihood in those susceptible to them.[16]The drink includes a massive amount of the opiate codeine, and it has been suggested that promethazine may heighten the euphoric effects of codeine.[16]

The addictive nature of the drink means that trying to discontinue regular usage can bring about symptoms of withdrawal.[16]In a 2008 interview withMTV News,Lil Waynedescribed the withdrawal as feeling "like death in your stomach when you stop. Everybody wants me to stop all this and all that. It ain't that easy."[17]

Respiratory depression is a potentially serious or fatal adverse drug reaction associated with the use of codeine, but mainly the danger lies in the much more potent and CNS-depressingphenothiazine-related antihistamine promethazine. This depression is dose-related and is the mechanism for the potentially fatal consequences of overdose:respiratoryorcardiac arrest.As with most CNS depressants, mi xing with alcohol greatly increases the risk of respiratory failure and other complications.[18]

History

Lean is thought to have developed inHoustonaround the 1960s, whenblues musicianswould takeRobitussinand cut it withbeer.Later, whenwine coolerscame onto the market, they substituted for beer.[15]These blues musicians lived in Houston'sFifth Ward,Third Ward,andSouth Parkneighborhoods and the practice was taken up by the generation of rappers growing up in the same parts of the city.[15]In the 1980s and 1990s the formula changed to using codeine promethazine cough syrup, somewhat like theglutethimideand codeine combination that was popular from the 1970s up to the early 1990s.[15]Codeine-based cough syrups were also turned to as an alternative topentazocine/tripelennamine( "T's and blues" ) after the pharmaceutical industry addednaloxoneto its constitutent drugs, effectively blocking their potential for abuse.[10]

Lean remained a local phenomenon in Houston until the 1990s, when the American rapperDJ Screwreleased several tunes mentioning the drink in hismixtapes,which were extremely popular in the Houston area.[15]DJ Screw's music was particularly appropriate for Houston's climate. Due to the heat and expanse of the Houston area residents spent long drives in their cars, "the music that most appropriately complements that has always been the music of DJ Screw, it's slowed down—and when I say slowed down I mean he would record sessions in his apartment with rappersfreestylingover beats and he would make these big mixtapes and then he would actually slow them down even further on his cassette recorder. "[15]DJ Screw's invoking lean in his lyrics and his use of slow tempos had caused his style to be characterized "[a]s if the song itself has taken too much codeine promethazine".[15]Rappers outside of Houston soon adopted aspects of his style.[15]

Therecreational useof lean had never been stigmatized in Houston, but with the apparently lean-related early death of DJ Screw, the concoction became the focus of law enforcement in the Houston area with felony charges being applied for some aspects surrounding it.[15]

Popularization

In 2019, rapperFuturepublicly spoke about quitting lean after learning about how his music influenced teenagers to try the drug.[19]

Houston producer DJ Screw popularized the concoction, which is widely attributed as a source of inspiration for thechopped-and-screwedstyle ofhip hop music.[20][21]The promethazine and codeine concoction first gained popularity in the underground hip hop scene in Houston,[21]where musicianBig Hawksaid it was consumed as early as the 1960s and 1970s, becoming more widely used in the early 1990s.[22]Because of usage by rap artists in Houston, it became more popular in the 1990s.[23]Its use later spread toother States in the South.[20]In June 2000,Three 6 Mafia's single "Sippin' on Some Syrup",featuringUGK,brought the termpurple drankto a nationwide audience.[24]

In 2004, theUniversity of Texas at Austinfound that 8.3% ofsecondary schoolstudents inTexashad taken codeine syrup to get high.[20]TheDrug Enforcement Administrationreports busts involving syrup across the Southern United States, particularly inTexasandFlorida.[20]As of 2011, the price of lean in Houston was twice the price it is inLos Angeles.[23]

In a 2019 interview, American rapperFuturespoke about quitting lean and stated that he was afraid that his fans would believe his music has changed if he had publicly admitted to quitting earlier.[19]Future expressed disappointment after American rapperJuice Wrldtold him that he was influenced by his music to try lean when he was young. Future stated "It's like, 'Oh shit.' How many other sixth-graders did I influence to drink lean?"[19]The two artists had released a collaborative mixtape titledWrld on Drugsin October 2018.[19]Lil Nas X's hit song "Old Town Road"includes the line" Lean all in my bladder ", though Lil Nas X has stated he does not endorse the drug.[25]

Notable incidents of use

DJ Screw, who popularized the codeine-based drink, died of a codeine–promethazine, Valium, and PCP overdose on November 16, 2000, several months after the video ofThree 6 Mafia's single debuted.[26]

Big Moe,a DJ Screw protégé whose albumsCity of SyrupandPurple Worldwere based on the drink and who has been described as having "rapped obsessively about the drug",[27]died at age 33 on October 14, 2007, after suffering aheart attackone week earlier that left him in acoma.[28]There was speculation that lean may have contributed to his death.[29][30]

Pimp C,a widely influential rapper fromPort Arthur, Texasand member of the rap duoUGK,was found dead on December 4, 2007, at theMondrian HotelinWest Hollywood, California.TheLos Angeles County Coroner's Officereported that the rapper's death was "due to promethazine-codeine effects and other unestablished factors." Ed Winter, assistant chief of the Coroner's Office, said the levels of the medication were elevated, but not enough to deem the death an overdose. However, Pimp C had a history ofsleep apnea,a condition that causes one to stop breathing for short periods during sleep. A spokesman for the coroner's office said that the combination of sleep apnea and cough medication probably suppressed Pimp C's breathing long enough to bring on his death.[31][27]

Fredo Santana,an American rapper who frequently made references to the drink in his music, died of a seizure on January 19, 2018. According to TMZ, he had been suffering from liver and kidney problems, which were believed to be the result of his addiction.[32]

In September 2006,Terrence Kiel,aSan Diego Chargersplayer, was arrested during practice for the possession with intent to sell prescription cough syrup for use in making the drink.[20]Kiel was caught trying to ship a case of syrup to a friend viaFedEx.Kiel was charged with two felony counts of transporting a controlled substance and three counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance.[33]

On July 8, 2008,Johnny Jolly,aGreen Bay Packersplayer, was pulled over in his car by the police for playing excessively loud music in a nightclub parking lot. The officers found aDr Pepperbottle in a holder next to two Styrofoam cups containing soda and ice.[34]The case was dismissed,[35]but charges were refiled in December 2009 after the Houston Police Department acquired new equipment that allowed the police to test the evidence again. Jolly faced a possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years in jail, but as a first time offender he would be eligible forprobation.[36]

On July 5, 2010, formerOakland RaidersquarterbackJaMarcus Russellwas arrested at his home inMobile, Alabama,for possession of codeine syrup without a prescription. He was arrested as part of an undercover narcotics investigation. Russell was booked into city jail and released soon afterwards after making his bail.[37]

On June 11, 2013, just days after being robbed at gunpoint in San Francisco, rapper2 Chainzwas arrested atLos Angeles International Airporton charges of possessing promethazine and codeine (the primary ingredients of lean) along withmarijuana.[38]

Mac Miller,who died of a drug overdose not involving lean, spoke openly of his addiction to lean.[39]

On April 7, 2015, Swedish rapperYung Lean,while living inMiami Beach, Florida,and recording his second studio albumWarlord,was hospitalized atMount Sinai Medical Centerdue to an overdose stemming from an addiction toXanax,cocaine,and lean.[40]

Commercial products

Advertising for one commercial product with marketing based on the "purple drank" name

Several legal commercial products loosely based on the concept of "purple drank" are marketed in the United States. In June 2008, Innovative Beverage Group, a Houston, Texas-based company, released a beverage called "Drank".The commercial product contains no codeine or promethazine, but claims to" Slow Your Roll "with a combination of herbal ingredients such asvalerian rootand rose hips as well as the hormonemelatonin.[41][42] Similar "anti-energy" orrelaxation drinkson the commercial market use the names "Purple Stuff", "Sippin Syrup", and "Lean".[43][44][45]

These commercial products have been criticized for their potential to serve asgatewaysto the dangerous illegal concoction.[44][45][46]The marketing push has been described as akin to the making ofcandy cigarettes.[46]

See also

References

  1. ^abPalmer, Tamara (2005).Country Fried Soul: Adventures in Dirty South Hip-hop.Outline Press Limited. p. 188.
  2. ^Richard Klemme,USE OF PROMETHAZINE WITH CODEINE SYRUP: COUGH/COLD EPIDEMIC OR SIGNIFICANT ABUSE?ArchivedMay 16, 2008, at theWayback Machine,Texas State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter, Volume XXV, Number 2, Spring 2001. The name "lean" refers to "users’ propensity of having difficulty in standing up straight."
  3. ^Bryan Robinson,Cough Syrup Abuse in Texas Takes Center StageArchivedMarch 29, 2022, at theWayback Machine,ABC News, August 17, 2005
  4. ^"What is Lean (Purple Drank), How It's Made, Side Effects and Dangers".Archivedfrom the original on January 23, 2021.RetrievedJune 4,2020.
  5. ^Shaheem Reid,Lil Wayne On Syrup: 'Everybody Wants Me To Stop... It Ain't That Easy'ArchivedDecember 22, 2010, at theWayback Machine,MTV, February 28, 2008
  6. ^""Dirty Sprite" gains popularity among teens | News - Home ".Archived fromthe originalon October 26, 2015.RetrievedOctober 19,2015.
  7. ^PA, The Ranch (November 4, 2019)."Sipping On Some Nonsense: What Is Lean?".The Ranch PA.Archivedfrom the original on March 20, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 25,2022.
  8. ^Skelton, Eric (October 6, 2022)."Lil Yachty Took the WoOoOOoOoock to Poland".Complex.RetrievedOctober 12,2022.
  9. ^Marso, Andy."Pharmacy board recommends tracking 'sizzurp' ingredient".The Topeka Capital-Journal.RetrievedFebruary 1,2024.
  10. ^abSpencer, Jim (September 19, 1984). "Abuse of 'juice': The burgeoning ills of cough syrup".Chicago Tribune.
  11. ^"Dextromethorphan (Oral Route) Description and Brand Names - Mayo Clinic".mayoclinic.org.Archivedfrom the original on March 29, 2022.RetrievedAugust 19,2019.
  12. ^Painter, Kim."Sizzurp: What you need to know about cough syrup high".USA TODAY.Archivedfrom the original on March 29, 2022.RetrievedAugust 19,2019.
  13. ^"T.I. Arrest -- Sippin' on Sizzurp?".TMZ.September 2, 2010.Archivedfrom the original on April 5, 2022.RetrievedAugust 19,2019.
  14. ^abcLeon, Melissa (March 17, 2013)."Lil Wayne Hospitalization: What the Hell Is Sizzurp?".The Daily Beast.Archivedfrom the original on May 4, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 20,2014.
  15. ^abcdefghiEakin, Marah (March 26, 2013)."Learn all about the long, lean history of" sizzurp "with this 7-minute audio primer".A.V. Club. Archived fromthe originalon August 17, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 20,2014.
  16. ^abcdefKhan, Amina (March 18, 2013)."Doctor explains sizzurp's powerful high -- and deadly side effects".Archivedfrom the original on February 21, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 20,2014.
  17. ^Reid, Shaheem (February 28, 2008)."LIL WAYNE ON SYRUP: 'EVERYBODY WANTS ME TO STOP... IT AIN'T THAT EASY'".MTV.Archived fromthe originalon April 12, 2022.RetrievedNovember 13,2020.
  18. ^"Alcohol Interactions with Other Drugs".Alcohol and Other Drugs Program Public Health Division, Health Department of Western Australia. 1999. Archived fromthe originalon January 18, 2016.RetrievedJune 4,2013.
  19. ^abcdHolmes, Charles (January 17, 2019)."Future Changed Rap for a Generation. He Doesn't Know How to Feel About It".Rolling Stone.Archived fromthe originalon May 24, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 28,2020.
  20. ^abcdeLeinwand, Donna (October 18, 2006)."DEA warns of soft drink-cough syrup mix".USA Today.Archivedfrom the original on November 28, 2006.RetrievedOctober 23,2006.
  21. ^abCorcoran, Michael Joseph (2005). "The Geto Boys and DJ Screw: Where the Dirty South Began".All Over the Map: True Heroes of Texas Music(1st ed.). Austin:University of Texas Press.pp. 23–26.ISBN978-0-292-70976-8.
  22. ^Joseph Patel,Chopped & Screwed: A HistoryArchivedMarch 11, 2007, at theWayback Machine,page 2, MTV. Accessed January 7, 2010.
  23. ^abSchiller, Dane. "Purple Drank scheme allegedly made millions for smuggling ringArchivedApril 12, 2022, at theWayback Machine."Houston Chronicle.Wednesday October 19, 2011. Retrieved on October 23, 2011.
  24. ^Walker, Yolanda (October 20, 2006)."Drug-laced cough syrup tempts Texas teens".WFAA.Archived fromthe originalon January 25, 2007.RetrievedOctober 28,2006.
  25. ^Mauro, Haleigh (January 24, 2020)."The Real Meaning of the" Old Town Road "Lyrics".Cosmopolitan.Archivedfrom the original on April 12, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 28,2020.
  26. ^Demby, Eric (January 11, 2001)."Codeine Overdose Killed DJ Screw, Medical Examiner Says".MTV. Archived fromthe originalon December 20, 2008.RetrievedOctober 28,2006.
  27. ^abKristie Rieken,Cough syrup found in Pimp C's hotel had no labelArchivedJune 12, 2011, at theWayback Machine,Associated Press, February 5, 2008
  28. ^DJs – Rapper Big Moe DiesArchivedApril 8, 2009, at theWayback Machine,contactmusic, October 15, 2007
  29. ^Leslie Casimir,Rapper's death leads teens to re-evaluate lifestyle; Fans and friends wonder whether drug was a factor in his heart attackArchivedMay 6, 2010, at theWayback Machine,Houston Chronicle,October 20, 2007
  30. ^Houston rappers remember Big MoeArchivedAugust 5, 2011, at theWayback Machine,by Eyder Peralta,Houston Chronicle,October 16, 2007
  31. ^"Cough syrup cited in rapper Pimp C's death".Los Angeles Times.February 5, 2008.Archivedfrom the original on February 12, 2008.RetrievedMarch 15,2008.
  32. ^"Rapper Fredo Santana Dead from Fatal Seizure".TMZ. January 20, 2018.Archivedfrom the original on January 21, 2018.RetrievedJanuary 20,2018.
  33. ^Chargers safety Kiel arrested on drug chargesArchivedJuly 19, 2009, at theWayback Machine,USA Today,September 28, 2006
  34. ^"Purple Drank and the NFL: Johnny Jolly Isn't the Only One Getting Caught".Bleacher Report.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2022.RetrievedMarch 3,2022.
  35. ^Case against Jolly dismissedArchivedAugust 12, 2022, at theWayback Machine,"Milwaukee Journal Sentinel", July 16, 2009
  36. ^"540 ESPN Milwaukee".Espnmilwaukee.Archivedfrom the original on December 20, 2009.RetrievedJanuary 4,2010.
  37. ^2010-07-05ArchivedJuly 8, 2010, at theWayback Machine
  38. ^"2013-11-06".News.radio. June 11, 2013.Archivedfrom the original on March 10, 2018.RetrievedApril 10,2014.
  39. ^Streit, Kate (September 14, 2018)."Here's What You Need To Know About Lean—The Cough Syrup Drink That Mac Miller Spoke About Before His Death".Simplemost.Archivedfrom the original on January 23, 2022.RetrievedJuly 30,2019.
  40. ^"Yung Lean's Second Chance".The FADER.Archivedfrom the original on June 15, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 9,2022.
  41. ^"'Slow Your Roll' With DRANK From Innovative Beverage Group – the World's First Extreme Lifestyle Relaxation Beverage ".Yahoo.June 10, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon December 2, 2008.RetrievedSeptember 16,2008.
  42. ^Adventures in Press Releases: The Anti-Energy DrinkArchivedApril 4, 2009, at theWayback MachineBy Sarah DiGregorio in Edible News, June 4, 2008
  43. ^'Sippin Syrup' being sold in stores creates controversyArchivedFebruary 25, 2012, at theWayback Machine,theGrio website, September 25, 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
  44. ^abJemimah Noonoo,Anti-Energy Drink Fuels Concerns Over MarketingArchivedJuly 6, 2010, at theWayback Machine,Houston Chronicle,November 28, 2008; retrieved from commercialalert.org website on November 27, 2009
  45. ^abBoyce Watkins,Company Makes Money from Deadly Urban Trend: "Sipping Syrup"ArchivedNovember 2, 2020, at theWayback Machine,AOL Black Voices, September 29, 2009
  46. ^abKim Horner,Anti-energy drink hard for some mental health experts to swallowArchivedNovember 18, 2010, at theWayback Machine,Dallas Morning News,February 18, 2010
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