Abuse of Broncleer on the rise
Lawrence Seretse | Thursday January 16, 2014 17:08
Broncleer is a common cough syrup that contains codeine, alcohol content, and is known as 'Bronco'on the street. The container clearly states that overdose can cause hypotension, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure and a coma among others.
Reports from Zimbabwe state that the authorities say the recent agreement signed with Botswana to prohibit exports follows the epidemic smuggling of Broncleer into the country where people seeking cheaper ways of getting high abuse it.
In Botswana the cough drug is not yet illegal while in Zimbabwe, anyone selling it can be prosecuted.
However, Dr Taraq of Medicos Pharmacy in Gaborone told Mmegi that in the past three years abuse of the codeine-cough syrup has increased at such an alarming rate. He said the medicine, costing about P14, has been moved from the shelves to be sold from behind the counter as the ministry instructed.
'The abuse has grown and the biggest challenge is that it is very cheap and does not need a doctor's prescription to get,' Dr Taraq said.
He said people were abusing Bronco because it contained a substance called codeine phosphate, responsible for the 'high'.
Broncleer is manufactured by Adcock Ingram Pharmaceuticals of South Africa. Zimbabwean authorities claim that it is not registered for sale in that country. 'Its presence is largely due to illegal imports from across the borders. Bronco should not be sold from licensed premises. It would be a serious offence for a pharmacist or any retailer to sell Bronco,' Richard Rukwata, Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe spokesman said on Monday.
He warned that the abuse of Broncleer could lead to respiratory depression, constipation, restlessness, sedation, nausea, vomiting, skeletal muscle flaccidity, bradycardia, hypotension and death.
An interviewed cough syrup user, also a music producer (name withheld) shares with Mmegi his experience with the drug.
He said the reason why he ended up getting fond of the syrup is because alcohol was becoming so expensive. 'Twenty-six and unemployed,' he says,' I need to survive so I do not end up spending much on alcohol.' 'I take these cough mixtures because it is the easy ticket to a hassle free world.
'When you have a lot on your mind the hallucinations can scare you but I'm used to it now. That's why sometimes when I am high from this stuff, I hallucinate, I laugh at myself,' he said. 'Today I bought a bottle of Broncleer which has been rumoured can be recreated as a hallucinogenic because it carries dihydrocodeine and other ingredients.
'I'm no beginner with syrups, I had many opiate experiences I just want to see if this syrup is,' he over-shared, failing to contain the excitement of the press.
His sister-in-law Loapi explained that they have tried advising him of the dangers and how un-cool it is but have given up.
'He once collapsed at a funeral and the doctor said that there was too much codeine in his blood. He was advised to stop it but he never did,' said Loapi.
While individuals have to take responsibility to not abuse drugs, Dr Taraq insists that the onus of bringing control on the dispensation of this medicine lies with the pharmacists. 'While I advise government to educate people and maybe increase the price of the cough syrup we should also interrogate every buyer and be stricter with how we issue out this cough syrup,' he states.
'Government should also try to change it from a pharmacy initiated medicine to a prescription drug. This way it would require a doctor's consent to dispense it,' he says.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health public relations officials, Doreen Motshegwa said that she was unaware of the said agreement with Zimbabwe.