Skittling is the taking of over the counter cough and cold medicine for the sole purpose of getting high.  It has many names but skittling and robotripping are the most common.  It is called skittling because a lot of the cold medicines are red and look like the candy skittles.  It is the DXM or dextromethorphan that gets the person high

Let me tell you how this all started.  I had a cold with a bad cough.  I bought some cold medicine, three different kinds and put them on the counter in my bathroom.  My teen son had his own bathroom and to be honest I didn’t think a thing about leaving the medicine out.  Anyway, I took the medicine and it made me feel icky so I quit taking it and tried new stuff. To make a long and miserable cold story short, I got better.  That weekend I was cleaning up and saw the bottles.  But I noticed the cough syrup was almost gone and so I opened the other bottles and sure enough all the pills were about gone. 

Now I knew that taking cough syrup to get high had been around for years, but surely my son would not do that!?  I went to the computer and started to look it up.  It was called skittling and what I found out scared me.  I found that kids were taking it in such large quantities that at the least they were damaging their livers and at the most they were dying.  Yes DYING. 

I was aghast and angry. My sons and I talk of everything. Surely this could not have been going on right under my nose and without me knowing?  So I waited.  You know the “Mom’s wait” vacillating between anger and fear.  While I waited I read up on it and learned.

My son was escaping and hallucinating and skittling and I missed it?  How can that be? I learned that there are over 250 products with DXM in it and the drug companies that make it don’t want it regulated even if it will keep our teens safe.  I learned that is a real addiction just like any other drug but that it was worse in a way because it was legal and easy to get.

I read the list of symptoms: restlessness, confusion, dizziness, double or blurred vision, slurred speech, impaired physical coordination, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, rapid heart beat, drowsiness, numbness of fingers and toes, and disorientation and wondered why anyone would want to feel that way.

Skittling abusers describe different "plateaus" ranging from mild distortions of color and sound to visual hallucinations and "out-of-body," feelings of detachment from the environment and self, sensations, and loss of motor control.  I became panicky and ready to fight this with him all the way to health!

He came home; I tried hard not to attack. I had done the self Mom talk and I was ready.  Calmly I asked, “Are you skittling?”  He laughed and said, “Where did you hear about that? And no I am not; I am not that stupid, why?  You been on the internet again Mom?” So we talked about the missing medicine and found out it was one of his friends (who is now in treatment).

All I can say is that day I found a killer of our teenagers and it is called skittling.  It is important to communicate and keep aware of your home and what is going on in your world. Even the smallest of things can be an important clue to a problem.  Battle with knowledge and caring.

There are ten killers of our teenagers that you must become aware of.  Surely it is against nature that teenagers should die?  When it happens you may ask yourself why or how or what we as a society could have done to prevent it?  Of course you would like the ABC’s of stopping it from ever happening again, right?  Well, for those that are listening I will tell you right off what the ABC’s of stopping the ten killers our teenagers are.  ALWAYS BE COMMUNICATING.  Simple isn’t it? 

Unfortunately for some it is not that simple and so will not happen.  It seems as a people we sometimes do not all move in the same direction at the same time and unless it affects us personally we may never see the problem.  Sometimes we merely sit in the comfort of our homes and will things not to happen but we never truly take a stand.  So teenagers will still die.  But maybe yours don’t have to?  Maybe the ones in your world can be spared simply by remembering to ABC with the killers of our teenagers, ALWAYS BE COMMUNICATING!   

Knowledge of these ten things can save their lives and the future of our country.  Knowledge comes from communication.  You can communicate with the killers by knowing their ways, understanding their actions and then communicating that knowledge for or to the teenager.  Let’s take a look at a list of these ten killers of our teenagers and learn ways to ABC with the killers and with your teens, then you can change lives within your sphere of influence.

Ten Killers of our teenagers

1.    Ritalin --Treatment of ADD ADHD

2.    Skittleing--Over the counter cold medicines

3.    Choking-the new pretend dying

4.    Sniffing-inhalants

5.    Loss of sleep-many causes

6.    Meningitis-Mom I have a headache

7.    Head Injury-Oww

8.    Auto Accidents-Not just from drinking

9.    Misdiagnosis-Pay attention to what is going on

10.Suicide-The ultimate pain

Communication is not just speaking but listening too.  Be aware of the people around you, the children and teenagers.  Watch and listen to make sure those within your sphere of influence are safe.  Is your son or daughters friend safe?  You may not think that it is your “job” but truly it is.  Pay attention, watch their faces when they are talking to others, does the teen look fearful or sad or afraid?  Involve yourself. Make a conscious effort to be aware!

It is up to you to ABC with the killers of your teens and to become involved and knowledgeable in regards to any interactions.  Take part and save a life.  It could well be your son or daughters.