Purple Drink | Lean Syrup - Castle Craig Addiction Treatment

What is Lean?

Lean, also known as 'lean drink', 'purple drink' or 'lean syrup', is a drink that consists of cough syrup and soda (usually Sprite). Sometimes it is also decided to add candies such as wine gums to give the drink a sweeter taste.

Lean is popular among rappers from the American hip-hop scene. Rappers glorify the drink for the euphoric effects it brings. However, there is a danger that overdose can have fatal consequences. In recent years it has blown over to the Netherlands and there has been an increase in users. Precise figures of the increase are not known, but the government is already warning about the dangers that lean drinking entails.

The effects of lean drink

The cough syrup that you use to make lean drink is normally used for a cold and ticklish cough. It contains the substances codeine and promethazine that combat the common cold.

When a higher dose is used, it produces effects comparable to narcotics. For example, it can cause the intoxication that you normally get when drinking alcohol, but also the calming, sleepy effect of benzodiazepines (benzos). Achieving these effects is individual and one needs a higher dose than the other. This means that one person must use more codeine and promethazine in the lean drink to experience the desired effect.

Lean: medicine or drug?

Lean is a drink that is drunk to experience intoxication, so technically lean is a drug. The cough syrup that is used in the composition of the lean syrup is not available in stores in the Netherlands.

The substances codeine and promethazine are available separately. Codeine is prescribed as a pain reliever and promethazine for allergies. Both are only prescribed by the doctor when necessary. So it can happen that people use both drugs, causing the drugs to mix in the body. This can cause them to accidentally ingest the wrong amount.

Risks of lean, purple booze and lean syrup

The risks that lean carries with it is that it can lead to a fatal outcome. Codeine is an opiate and has an anesthetic effect on the body. With large amounts you can get hallucinations, pass out or in the worst cases get respiratory arrest. Especially in combination with promethazine and possibly other agents such as alcohol and drugs this risk is further increased.

Drinking large amounts of lean can also damage your organs. This can eventually lead to major problems such as kidney or liver failure.

A lean addiction

In addition to the fact that lean entails risks, it can also be addictive because codeine has an addictive effect. With frequent use, tolerance can develop, so that you need more and more to experience the desired effect.

Stopping all at once is not wise because withdrawal symptoms can occur that are similar to those of heroin. Symptoms of withdrawal symptoms may include sick, sweaty, clammy and cold, goosebumps, runny nose, abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhea and pain in the limbs. It is therefore important that help is called in if you want to stop lean drinking.

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