Medicine cabinets providing highs

Tarah was 12 when she used drugs for the first time. But it wasn't cocaine, heroin or marijuana that got her hooked. Rather, cough and cold medicine pills.

One night Tarah, who asked that her last name not be used, took 16 of the pills and her brother another 16. Her brother, also 12, woke up in the morning and took about a half-dozen more.

He was rushed to Primary Children's Medical Center and nearly died from the experience, she said.

But that wasn't enough to deter her from using drugs.

"It sent me deeper into use," she said.

Pharmacists and law enforcement officials say this is typical of the ever-evolving face of drugs in Utah. Today's youths are getting hooked on over-the-counter drugs, many of which look and taste like candy. Many of those drugs come from the household medicine cabinet.

"The abuse of over-the-counter and prescription medication is staggering," said Salt Lake County Sheriff's narcotics Sgt. Jason Mazuran.

Today, 20-year-old Tarah is clean, as well as being six months pregnant.

Brock, 17, who also asked his last name not be used, said he started off smoking marijuana and using psychedelic mushrooms when he was 14. From there, he said, his urge to get high grew.

"There was a time I had to be high every single day, every second of the day. I had to be high all the time," he said.

Both Brock and Tarah are featured in a new DVD being sold at Smith's Food and Drug pharmacies to teach parents about today's drug trends. All proceeds from the sale of "The New Face of Drugs" and the accompanying "Drug Reference Guide" will go to the Boys and Girls Club.

The group DrugTALK is co-sponsoring the DVD. The goal is to inform parents and hopefully help law enforcers get in front of the problem before they are forced to chase it, Mazuran said.

"Parents are completely unaware of the new trends," he said.

One of the allures of prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs is they provide the same high but don't show up in a drug test, Tarah said.

Plus, many juveniles don't perceive taking a pill the same as using a needle or "dirty" hard-core drugs such as meth or heroin.

"I never thought it was that bad," Brock said of his marijuana use.

Nevertheless, his drug use increased in "subtle movements," he said.