Police say B.C. teen died from mix of hydromorphone, cough medicine

A teen on Vancouver Island died after taking a lethal combination of hydromorphone and over-the-counter cough syrup.

The recent death of a teenager on Vancouver Island was likely caused by a combination of the opioid hydromorphone and a non-prescription cough medicine, according to police.

Campbell River RCMP spokesperson Const. Maury Tyre says the 15-year-old died earlier this month, but investigators would not provide more specific details about the victim’s identity or the circumstances surrounding their death.

The local RCMP detachment has seen a rise in reports of young people mixing opioids and cough syrup in a concoction commonly known as “lean” or “purple drink,” Tyre said in an interview Tuesday.

“They’re actually taking cough medications, adding it to Sprite, and in some cases adding some sort of opioid to it as medication, as well, to create certain effects in your brain”

The RCMP decided to release some information about the recent overdose as a warning to the community about the dangers of drug use. “With a lot of the modern class of drugs, there is no such thing as experimenting,” Tyre said.

“It’s extremely important for youth and parents to understand the dangers that are posed by all drugs, including the use of prescription and non-prescription medications,” Tyre said in a statement.

“Although police do speak in schools and offer drug and alcohol education, there is a need for this information to be regularly reaffirmed in the home and in the community to safeguard our youth.”

Hydromorphone, which is also known by the brand name Dilaudid, is a powerful prescription painkiller that is distributed in tablet, capsule and liquid form.

The police statement did not say what cough medicine was suspected of involvement in the teen’s death, including whether or not it also contained opioids. Tyre said such cough and cold medications are often reported stolen from local grocery stores and pharmacies, and can be dangerous on their own when taken in large quantities.

“The reality is, this kind of tragedy affects people of all walks of life and socio-economic levels, sometimes through addiction, and sometimes through experimentation,” Tyre said.

“When you’re mixing any sort of a prescription medication that’s not your own, you have no idea how that’s going to affect you, because it’s dosed for a certain individual.”

The Campbell River RCMP offered condolences to the victim’s family in the statement and said further information would not be released to the public at this time.