Lean is a drink typically made from a cocktail of substances including; codeine, promethazine, paracetamol and dextromethorphan. In America lean is usually made up of a cough syrup that contains codeine and antihistamine, mixed with a soft drink. This particular kind of cough syrup is not available in the UK.
Lean was not available to buy over the counter, with the codeine-based product only available on the “dark web” or through drug dealers.
There are reports that in the UK that a cough syrup that contains opioids is being bought online for £4 a bottle by young people who use it to make a potent cocktail, nicknamed “purple drank”.
The syrup mixed with Sprite, coloured sweets and antihistamines is used to create a legal high.
Last year, parents in the UK were warned of the craze after teenagers arrived at school drowsy and droopy-eyed.
Codeine and other drugs should only ever be used in line with medical advice and guidelines. Codeine is only available on prescription when not in combination with another substance.
Symptoms of overdose include difficulty in breathing, low heart rate, blue appearance to lips and extremities, drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, cold and clammy skin, unresponsiveness, and coma. Symptoms of withdrawal include: Tremors, anxiety, yawning, sweating, runny nose, sleep disturbance, nausea, goosebumps, restlessness, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, difficulty sleeping and muscle spasm
