Purple drank
Encyclopedia
Purple drank is a slang
term for a recreational drug
popular in the hip hop
community in the southern United States
, originating in Houston, Texas
. Its main ingredient is prescription
-strength cough syrup
containing codeine
and promethazine
. Cough syrup is typically mixed with ingredients such as Sprite
soft drink or Mountain Dew and pieces of Jolly Rancher
candy. The purplish hue of purple drank comes from dye
s in the cough syrup.
There are numerous slang terms for purple drank, including sizzurp, lean, syrup, drank, barre, purple jelly, and Texas tea.
producer DJ Screw
popularized the concoction, which is widely attributed as a source of inspiration for the "chopped and screwed
" style of hip hop music
. Originally, the active ingredient of "syrup" was cough syrup containing promethazine and codeine. The concoction first gained popularity in the underground rap scene in Houston, where musician Big Hawk
said it was consumed as early as the 1960s and 1970s, becoming more widespread in the early 1990s. Its use later spread to other southern states
. Because of usage by rap artists in Houston, it became more popular in the 1990s.
In June 2000, Three 6 Mafia
's single "Sippin' on Some Syrup
," featuring UGK
, brought the term "purple drank" to a nationwide audience. Three 6 Mafia's single "Rainbow Colors" featuring Lil' Flip
pertains to the consumption of purple drank; the addition of a Jolly Rancher
candy to a cup of purple drank creates a spectrum of colors, hence the name.
In 2004, the University of Texas found that 8.3% of secondary school
students in Texas
had taken codeine syrup to get high. The Drug Enforcement Administration
reports "busts" involving syrup across the southern United States, particularly in Texas
and Florida
.
As of 2011 the price of purple drank in Houston is twice the price in Los Angeles
.
-codeine
, a prescription cough syrup. The active ingredients are codeine
, a narcotic
, and the antihistamine
medication promethazine
. When taken in large quantities, both medications can lead to sedation
and altered levels of consciousness. The addition of these antihistamines is intended to deter abuse at high doses (in doses higher than recommended, effects produce extreme somnolence, weakness and may even cause fatal respiratory depression). In lower doses, these potentiate the opiates.
Prescription cough syrups containing hydrocodone
are also used to make the drink, though they are less popular. Songs like "Sippin' on Some Syrup
" by Three 6 Mafia refer to Tussionex, a yellow cough syrup containing extended-release hydrocodone and chlorpheniramine (another antihistamine). Other hydrocodone-containing syrups such as Histinex HC, Hycotuss, and Hycodan may also be used but have the addition of atropine
to deter abuse. Syrup also is made with over-the-counter
cough syrups such as Robitussin
DM, which contain dextromethorphan
as the cough suppressant. Although dextromethorphan is used recreationally, it has dissociative
effects as opposed to narcotic. Dextromethorphan is a synthetic morphine analog that has been on the market in the United States since the 1960s. It is a cough suppressant in small doses, but in large doses it can result in a disassociative state, with hallucinations, similar to that produced by PCP
or ketamine
.
Promethazine-codeine contains 10 mg of codeine and 6.25 mg of promethazine per 5 mL.
Some users report that the large amount of sugar in drank causes them to experience weight gain
, tooth decay, and other medical symptoms.
and Three 6 Mafia
, the mixture has been referenced in lyrics of other rappers. It is the subject of UGK
's "Sippin and Spinnin" and "Purple Drank", as well as tracks by D12
, Eminem
, Lil' Wyte, Big Moe
, Lil Boosie
, Far East Movement
, Paul Wall
, Esham
, Mike Jones
, Kanye West
, T.I.
, Rick Ross
, Lil' Flip
, Lil' Wayne, Ludacris
, Fat Joe
, Beanie Sigel
, Project Pat
, Chamillionaire
, Lou Bega
, Jim Jones
, The Game, Slim Thug
, Fat Pat, Frayser Boy
, Gorilla Zoe
, Z-RO
, Youngbloodz
, 8Ball, Papoose
, Drake, Jae Millz, Mack Maine
, Gucci Mane
, Plies
, Tech N9ne
, Trae
, Young Buck
, and E-40
.
New Orleans rapper Lil' Wayne has publicly acknowledged his use of purple drank, and his lyrics frequently mentions drinking purple drank. In the Duffle Bag Boy
music video he can be seen holding a Styrofoam
cup with "RIP DJ Screw" written on it. In his freestyle to "Throw Some D's
" on his mixtape Da Drought 3
he claims "I'm not a rookie, I'm a pro..methazine fiend" as well as stating "You know what's in my Styrofoam...what? S-Y-R-UP." He also mentions the substance in the track "Barry Bonds" from Kanye West's Graduation
album, saying "My drink is still pinker than the Easter Rabbit," an overt reference to the color of the beverage. Wayne makes a similar reference in DJ Khaled
's song, "We Takin' Over." Wayne says, "...and I like my Sprite Easter pink." In the album Tha Carter III
, the song "Phone Home", includes the lyrics "I'm used to promethazine, in two cups, I'm screwed up". His song "Me and My Drank" is dedicated to his use of purple drank and the song "Kush" mentions purple drank in the line "Keep a bandanna like the Ninja Turtles, I'm like a turtle, when I sip the purple." In his appearance on Gorilla Zoe
's song "Lost", Wayne raps "...and I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'ma keep the Styrofoam with me", with the end of the line being "chopped and screwed
". In his song "Watch My Shoes" Lil' Wayne says "Syrup got me slow, like a turtle 'round this hoe." Rapper Nicki Minaj
mentioned the drink in her single, "Mind on My Money." She raps, "...and when I come, they better lean like promethazine." Seattle rapper Macklemore
has a single, "Otherside", that directly refers to the substance and the addictive effects it has. In the 2011 song "I'm On One
" by DJ Khaled
, one of the featuring rappers, Drake
, says in the chorus "2 white cups and I've got that drink, it could be purple, it could be pink, depending on how you mix that shit..."; the line serving as a blatant reference to the mixture.
References to the substance are appearing in other musical genres. Southern punk band Black Lips
' song "I Saw A Ghost (Lean)" is about a trip on purple drank: "Well if you've got that lean, come on give me a sip. If the police only knew that blue lights induce a trip." In addition, the legal commercial product named "Drank" is depicted in several music video
s, including the Pussycat Dolls
music video for "Bottle Pop
," the Flo Rida
video for the song "Sugar
," and the Keri Hilson
video for the single "Turnin Me On."
In the 2010 song by Dev
called "Booty Bounce" the drink is mentioned as well as Three 6 Mafia
"...sippin sizzurp in my ride, like Three 6..." This same verse was used in the song, "Like a G6
" by Far East Movement
featuring Dev
, herself. In the song Orange Juice by EarlWolf from the OFWGKTA
mixtape Radical, rapper Tyler, the Creator
describes himself: "Sip sizzurp, Supreme on my shizzirt, I munch a bunch of tacos with Waverly's favorite wizard".
, but mainly the danger lies in the much more potent and CNS
-depressing
phenothiazine-related antihistamine promethazine. This depression is dose-related and is the mechanism for the potentially fatal consequences of overdose: respiratory
or cardiac arrest
. As with most CNS depressants, mixing with alcohol greatly increases the risk of respiratory failure and other complications.
DJ Screw
, who popularized the codeine-based drink, died of a codeine-promethazine-alcohol
overdose on November 16, 2000, several months after the video to Three 6 Mafia's single debuted.
Big Moe
, a DJ Screw protegé whose albums City of Syrup
and Purple World
were based on the drink and who has been described as having "rapped obsessively about the drug," died at age 33 on October 14, 2007, after suffering a heart attack one week earlier that left him in a coma
. There was speculation that purple drank may have contributed to his death.
Pimp C
, widely influential Port Arthur, Texas
rapper and a member of rap duo UGK
, was found dead on December 4, 2007, at the Mondrian Hotel
in West Hollywood, California
. The Los Angeles County Coroner
's office reported that the rapper's death was "due to promethazine/codeine effects and other unestablished factors." Ed Winter, assistant chief of the coroner
's office, said the levels of the medication were elevated, but not enough to deem the death an overdose. However, Pimp C had a history of sleep apnea
, a condition that causes one to stop breathing for short periods during sleep. A spokesman for the coroner's office said that the combination of sleep apnea and cough medication probably suppressed Pimp C's breathing long enough to bring on his death.
, a San Diego Chargers
player, was arrested during practice for the possession with intent to sell prescription cough syrup for use in making the drink. Kiel was caught trying to ship a case of syrup to a friend via Fed Ex. Kiel was charged with two felony counts of transporting a controlled substance and three counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance.
On July 8, 2008, Johnny Jolly
, a Green Bay Packers
player, was pulled over in his car for excessive music. The officers found a Dr Pepper
bottle in a holder next to two Styrofoam cups containing soda and ice. The officers said the cups and the bottle all emitted "strong odors of codeine." The case was dismissed at first, but charges were refiled in December 2009 after the Houston Police Department's acquired new equipment that allowed the police to test the evidence again. Jolly faced a possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years in jail, but as a first time offender he would be eligible for probation
.
On July 5, 2010, former Oakland Raiders
quarterback JaMarcus Russell
was arrested at his home in Mobile, Alabama
, for possession of codeine syrup without a prescription. He was arrested as part of an undercover narcotics investigation. Russell was booked into city jail and released soon afterwards after making his bail.
." The commercial product contains no codeine or promethazine, but claims to "Slow Your Roll" with a combination of herbal ingredients such as valerian root and rose hips as well as the hormone melatonin
.
Similar "relaxation" or "anti-energy" drinks on the commercial market use the names "Purple Stuff", "Sippin Syrup", and "Lean".
."
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term for a recreational drug
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
popular in the hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
community in the southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, originating in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. Its main ingredient is prescription
Prescription drug
A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
-strength cough syrup
Cough medicine
A cough medicine is a medicinal drug used in an attempt to treat coughing and related conditions. For dry coughs, treatment with cough suppressants may be attempted to suppress the body's urge to cough...
containing codeine
Codeine
Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...
and promethazine
Promethazine
Promethazine is a first-generation antihistamine of the phenothiazine family. The drug has anti-motion sickness, antiemetic, and anticholinergic effects, as well as a strong sedative effect and in some countries is prescribed for insomnia when benzodiazepines are contraindicated...
. Cough syrup is typically mixed with ingredients such as Sprite
Sprite (soft drink)
Sprite is a transparent, lemon-lime flavored , caffeine free soft drink, produced by the Coca-Cola Company. It was introduced in the United States in 1961. This was Coke's response to the popularity of 7 Up, which had begun as "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda" in 1929...
soft drink or Mountain Dew and pieces of Jolly Rancher
Jolly Rancher
Jolly Rancher is a brand of candy, including hard candy, gummies, fruit chews, jellybeans, lollipops, and sodas. It is currently owned by Hershey. The product was originally produced by the Jolly Rancher Company, founded in 1949 by Bill and Dorothy Harmsen of Golden, Colorado...
candy. The purplish hue of purple drank comes from dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
s in the cough syrup.
There are numerous slang terms for purple drank, including sizzurp, lean, syrup, drank, barre, purple jelly, and Texas tea.
History
Houston, TexasHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
producer DJ Screw
DJ Screw
Robert Earl "DJ Screw" Davis, Jr. was a Houston, Texas-based DJ. He was known as a central figure in the Houston hip-hop community and was the creator of the now-famous Chopped and Screwed DJ technique...
popularized the concoction, which is widely attributed as a source of inspiration for the "chopped and screwed
Chopped and screwed
Chopped and screwed refers to a technique of remixing hip hop music which developed in the Houston hip hop scene in the 1990s...
" style of hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. Originally, the active ingredient of "syrup" was cough syrup containing promethazine and codeine. The concoction first gained popularity in the underground rap scene in Houston, where musician Big Hawk
Big Hawk
John Edward Hawkins , better known as H.A.W.K. or Big Hawk was an American rapper from Houston, Texas and a founding member of the late DJ Screw's rap group the Screwed Up Click.-Biography:...
said it was consumed as early as the 1960s and 1970s, becoming more widespread in the early 1990s. Its use later spread to other southern states
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. Because of usage by rap artists in Houston, it became more popular in the 1990s.
In June 2000, Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia are an Academy Award-winning, American rap group originating from Memphis, Tennessee. Formed in 1991 as Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Juicy J, & Lord Infamous, the group at its most featured six members including; Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo and Koopsta Knicca...
's single "Sippin' on Some Syrup
Sippin' on Some Syrup
"Sippin' On Some Syrup" is a track from Three 6 Mafia's fourth studio album, When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1. It features UGK and Project Pat...
," featuring UGK
UGK
UGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler . He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner...
, brought the term "purple drank" to a nationwide audience. Three 6 Mafia's single "Rainbow Colors" featuring Lil' Flip
Lil' Flip
Wesley Eric Weston, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil' Flip, is a American multi-platinum hiphop artist best known for his singles Sunshine, "Game Over" and Rollin on 20's from the 2 Fast 2 Furious Soundtrack....
pertains to the consumption of purple drank; the addition of a Jolly Rancher
Jolly Rancher
Jolly Rancher is a brand of candy, including hard candy, gummies, fruit chews, jellybeans, lollipops, and sodas. It is currently owned by Hershey. The product was originally produced by the Jolly Rancher Company, founded in 1949 by Bill and Dorothy Harmsen of Golden, Colorado...
candy to a cup of purple drank creates a spectrum of colors, hence the name.
In 2004, the University of Texas found that 8.3% of secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
students in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
had taken codeine syrup to get high. The Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
reports "busts" involving syrup across the southern United States, particularly in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
As of 2011 the price of purple drank in Houston is twice the price in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Ingredients
The most popular type of codeine syrup is promethazinePromethazine
Promethazine is a first-generation antihistamine of the phenothiazine family. The drug has anti-motion sickness, antiemetic, and anticholinergic effects, as well as a strong sedative effect and in some countries is prescribed for insomnia when benzodiazepines are contraindicated...
-codeine
Codeine
Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...
, a prescription cough syrup. The active ingredients are codeine
Codeine
Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...
, a narcotic
Narcotic
The term narcotic originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with any sleep-inducing properties. In the United States of America it has since become associated with opioids, commonly morphine and heroin and their derivatives, such as hydrocodone. The term is, today, imprecisely...
, and the antihistamine
Antihistamine
An H1 antagonist is a histamine antagonist of the H1 receptor that serves to reduce or eliminate effects mediated by histamine, an endogenous chemical mediator released during allergic reactions...
medication promethazine
Promethazine
Promethazine is a first-generation antihistamine of the phenothiazine family. The drug has anti-motion sickness, antiemetic, and anticholinergic effects, as well as a strong sedative effect and in some countries is prescribed for insomnia when benzodiazepines are contraindicated...
. When taken in large quantities, both medications can lead to sedation
Sedation
Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure...
and altered levels of consciousness. The addition of these antihistamines is intended to deter abuse at high doses (in doses higher than recommended, effects produce extreme somnolence, weakness and may even cause fatal respiratory depression). In lower doses, these potentiate the opiates.
Prescription cough syrups containing hydrocodone
Hydrocodone
Hydrocodone or dihydrocodeinone is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from either of two naturally occurring opiates: codeine and thebaine. It is an orally active narcotic analgesic and antitussive...
are also used to make the drink, though they are less popular. Songs like "Sippin' on Some Syrup
Sippin' on Some Syrup
"Sippin' On Some Syrup" is a track from Three 6 Mafia's fourth studio album, When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1. It features UGK and Project Pat...
" by Three 6 Mafia refer to Tussionex, a yellow cough syrup containing extended-release hydrocodone and chlorpheniramine (another antihistamine). Other hydrocodone-containing syrups such as Histinex HC, Hycotuss, and Hycodan may also be used but have the addition of atropine
Atropine
Atropine is a naturally occurring tropane alkaloid extracted from deadly nightshade , Jimson weed , mandrake and other plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a secondary metabolite of these plants and serves as a drug with a wide variety of effects...
to deter abuse. Syrup also is made with over-the-counter
Over-the-counter drug
Over-the-counter drugs are medicines that may be sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional, as compared to prescription drugs, which may be sold only to consumers possessing a valid prescription...
cough syrups such as Robitussin
Robitussin
Robitussin is a line of cold and cough medicines currently produced by Pfizer. Robitussin is available in various formulations. Robitussin contains an expectorant ; Robitussin DM adds a cough suppressant to the expectorant ; Robitussin CF is a cold formula that adds an expectorant and a nasal...
DM, which contain dextromethorphan
Dextromethorphan
Dextromethorphan is an antitussive drug. It is one of the active ingredients in many over-the-counter cold and cough medicines, such as Robitussin, NyQuil, Dimetapp, Vicks, Coricidin, Delsym, and others, including generic labels. Dextromethorphan has also found other uses in medicine, ranging...
as the cough suppressant. Although dextromethorphan is used recreationally, it has dissociative
Dissociative drug
Dissociatives are a class of psychoactive drugs which are said to reduce or block signals to the conscious mind from other parts of the brain...
effects as opposed to narcotic. Dextromethorphan is a synthetic morphine analog that has been on the market in the United States since the 1960s. It is a cough suppressant in small doses, but in large doses it can result in a disassociative state, with hallucinations, similar to that produced by PCP
Phencyclidine
Phencyclidine , commonly initialized as PCP and known colloquially as angel dust, is a recreational dissociative drug...
or ketamine
Ketamine
Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist...
.
Promethazine-codeine contains 10 mg of codeine and 6.25 mg of promethazine per 5 mL.
Some users report that the large amount of sugar in drank causes them to experience weight gain
Weight gain
Weight gain is an increase in body weight. This can be either an increase in muscle mass, fat deposits, or excess fluids such as water.-Description:...
, tooth decay, and other medical symptoms.
Mentions in music
In addition to its popularization in the music of DJ ScrewDJ Screw
Robert Earl "DJ Screw" Davis, Jr. was a Houston, Texas-based DJ. He was known as a central figure in the Houston hip-hop community and was the creator of the now-famous Chopped and Screwed DJ technique...
and Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia are an Academy Award-winning, American rap group originating from Memphis, Tennessee. Formed in 1991 as Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Juicy J, & Lord Infamous, the group at its most featured six members including; Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo and Koopsta Knicca...
, the mixture has been referenced in lyrics of other rappers. It is the subject of UGK
UGK
UGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler . He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner...
's "Sippin and Spinnin" and "Purple Drank", as well as tracks by D12
D12
D12, an acronym for The Dirty Dozen, is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia...
, Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, Lil' Wyte, Big Moe
Big Moe
Kenneth Moore , better known by his stage name Big Moe, was an American rapper/singer from Houston, Texas...
, Lil Boosie
Lil Boosie
Torrence Hatch , better known by his stage name Lil Boosie, is an American rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Hatch was bestowed the nickname Boosie by his family, and he was raised in southside Baton Rouge...
, Far East Movement
Far east movement
Far East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman...
, Paul Wall
Paul Wall
Paul Michael Slayton , better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper. He is currently affiliated with Swishahouse Records, having released several albums under the label as well as...
, Esham
Esham
Rashaam Attica Smith, better known by his stage name Esham , is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his hallucinogenic style of hip hop which he refers to as "acid rap", which fuses rock-based beats and lyrics involving subjects such as death, drug use, evil, paranoia and...
, Mike Jones
Mike Jones (rapper)
Michael "Mike" Jones is an American southern rap artist, who initially was affiliated with the record label Swishahouse, then left to be the owner of Ice Age Entertainment....
, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
, Rick Ross
Rick Ross (rapper)
William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
, Lil' Flip
Lil' Flip
Wesley Eric Weston, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil' Flip, is a American multi-platinum hiphop artist best known for his singles Sunshine, "Game Over" and Rollin on 20's from the 2 Fast 2 Furious Soundtrack....
, Lil' Wayne, Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, Fat Joe
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
, Beanie Sigel
Beanie Sigel
Dwight Grant , also known as Beanie Sigel, is a American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,most recently he was in talks with 50 Cent to sign with G-Unit Records and is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers...
, Project Pat
Project Pat
Patrick Houston, better known as Project Pat is an American rapper originating from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the older brother of Juicy J, co-founder of the Three 6 Mafia....
, Chamillionaire
Chamillionaire
Hakeem Seriki , better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. Chamillionaire is also the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click...
, Lou Bega
Lou Bega
David Lubega , also known as Lou Bega, is a German musician of Italian and Ugandan descent, and is famous for his song "Mambo No. 5 ". This song is a remake of the Perez Prado instrumental from 1949...
, Jim Jones
Jim Jones
James Warren "Jim" Jones was the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple, which is best known for the November 18, 1978 mass suicide of 909 Temple members in Jonestown, Guyana along with the killings of five other people at a nearby airstrip.Jones was born in Indiana and started the Temple in...
, The Game, Slim Thug
Slim Thug
Stayve Jerome Thomas , better known as Slim Thug, Boss Hogg or Thug Boss, is an American rapper. He gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the popular single from rapper Mike Jones, "Still Tippin'"....
, Fat Pat, Frayser Boy
Frayser Boy
Frayser Boy is an Academy Award-winning rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He was formerly signed to Hypnotize Minds, the label run by Three 6 Mafia members DJ Paul and Juicy J. He had released 3 albums under the Hypnotize label: Gone on That Bay , Me Being Me , and Da Key .-External links:...
, Gorilla Zoe
Gorilla Zoe
Alonzo Mathis better known by his stage name Gorilla Zoe is an American rapper and member of rap group Boyz N Da Hood. His solo debut album Welcome to the Zoo came out in 2007.-Biography:...
, Z-RO
Z-Ro
Joseph Wayne McVey , better known by his stage name Z-Ro, is an American rapper, singer and producer from Houston, Texas. He was named one of America's most underrated rappers by the New York Times.-Early life:...
, Youngbloodz
YoungBloodZ
YoungBloodZ are an American Southern rap duo from Atlanta, Georgia, comprising members J-Bo and Sean P YoungBloodZ are an American Southern rap duo from Atlanta, Georgia, comprising members J-Bo (born Jeffrey Ray Grigsby on October 4, 1977) and Sean P YoungBloodZ are an American Southern rap duo...
, 8Ball, Papoose
Papoose
A papoose is an American English loanword whose present meaning is "a Native American Indian child" or, even more generally, any child, usually used as a term of endearment, often in the context of the child's mother. The word came originally from the Narragansett tribe...
, Drake, Jae Millz, Mack Maine
Mack Maine
Jermaine Preyan, , known by his stage name Mack Maine, is an American rapper and singer. Mack Maine is signed to Young Money Entertainment, an imprint of Birdman's Universal Motown-distributed Cash Money Records, and is currently the president of the label...
, Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane
Radric Davis , better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released...
, Plies
Plies (rapper)
Algernod Lanier Washington , better known by his stage name Plies, is an American rapper and founder of Big Gates Records. Born in Fort Myers, Florida, Washington was a wide receiver on the football team of Miami University in Ohio in 1996 and 1997 before he became a rapper. After dropping out of...
, Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne
Aaron Dontez Yates , better known by his stage name Tech N9ne , is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film,...
, Trae
Trae
Frazier Thompson III, better known by his stage name Trae, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He is a part of the underground rap collective Screwed Up Click. Trae and Z-RO, along with Dougie D, are the founding members of the group Guerilla Maab...
, Young Buck
Young Buck
David Darnell Brown , also known as Young Buck, is an American Southern rapper. Buck is a former member of the New York City Hip-Hop group G-Unit, also a former artist of G-Unit Records as of Nov 26, 2011...
, and E-40
E-40
Earl Stevens , better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and investor from Vallejo, California. He is also part of the rap group The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. His solo debut album, Federal, was released in November 1992, after The Click's debut...
.
New Orleans rapper Lil' Wayne has publicly acknowledged his use of purple drank, and his lyrics frequently mentions drinking purple drank. In the Duffle Bag Boy
Duffle Bag Boy
"Duffle Bag Boy" is the first single by Playaz Circle from their debut album Supply & Demand. The song features Lil Wayne and was produced by M16. The song peaked at the Top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reaching #15.-Music video:...
music video he can be seen holding a Styrofoam
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company for closed-cell currently made for thermal insulation and craft applications. In 1941, researchers in Dow's Chemical Physics Lab found a way to make foamed polystyrene...
cup with "RIP DJ Screw" written on it. In his freestyle to "Throw Some D's
Throw Some D's
"Throw Some D's" is the first single off the self-titled album of rap artist Rich Boy, and his most commercially successful song to date. The single was produced by Butta and Polow da Don....
" on his mixtape Da Drought 3
Da Drought 3
- Background :This is the third in the trilogy of mixtapes in Da Drought series. Released in 2007, the mixtape was delayed slightly as a result of Wayne's last-minute decision to add songs to the album's second disc. The album is available as a free legal download. It contains mostly remixes of...
he claims "I'm not a rookie, I'm a pro..methazine fiend" as well as stating "You know what's in my Styrofoam...what? S-Y-R-UP." He also mentions the substance in the track "Barry Bonds" from Kanye West's Graduation
Graduation (album)
Graduation is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 11, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2005 to 2007 at Chung King Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York City and at Chalice Studios and The Record Plant...
album, saying "My drink is still pinker than the Easter Rabbit," an overt reference to the color of the beverage. Wayne makes a similar reference in DJ Khaled
DJ Khaled
Khaled bin Abdul Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, and record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his...
's song, "We Takin' Over." Wayne says, "...and I like my Sprite Easter pink." In the album Tha Carter III
Tha Carter III
Tha Carter III is the sixth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne, released June 10, 2008 on Cash Money Records. It follows a long string of mixtape releases and guest appearances on other hip hop and R&B artists records, helping to increase his exposure in the mainstream...
, the song "Phone Home", includes the lyrics "I'm used to promethazine, in two cups, I'm screwed up". His song "Me and My Drank" is dedicated to his use of purple drank and the song "Kush" mentions purple drank in the line "Keep a bandanna like the Ninja Turtles, I'm like a turtle, when I sip the purple." In his appearance on Gorilla Zoe
Gorilla Zoe
Alonzo Mathis better known by his stage name Gorilla Zoe is an American rapper and member of rap group Boyz N Da Hood. His solo debut album Welcome to the Zoo came out in 2007.-Biography:...
's song "Lost", Wayne raps "...and I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'ma keep the Styrofoam with me", with the end of the line being "chopped and screwed
Chopped and screwed
Chopped and screwed refers to a technique of remixing hip hop music which developed in the Houston hip hop scene in the 1990s...
". In his song "Watch My Shoes" Lil' Wayne says "Syrup got me slow, like a turtle 'round this hoe." Rapper Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
mentioned the drink in her single, "Mind on My Money." She raps, "...and when I come, they better lean like promethazine." Seattle rapper Macklemore
Macklemore
Ben Haggerty, known by his stage name Macklemore, is a hip hop artist based in Seattle, Washington. Macklemore works with Ryan Lewis Andrew Joslyn , Owour Arunga , Zach Fleury , and Noah Goldberg...
has a single, "Otherside", that directly refers to the substance and the addictive effects it has. In the 2011 song "I'm On One
I'm On One
"I'm on One" is a song by American hip hop artist DJ Khaled, released as the second single from his fifth studio album, We the Best Forever. The song features hip-hop artists Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, and features production from Canadian producers T-Minus, Kromatik and Noah "40" Shebib. It...
" by DJ Khaled
DJ Khaled
Khaled bin Abdul Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, and record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his...
, one of the featuring rappers, Drake
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
, says in the chorus "2 white cups and I've got that drink, it could be purple, it could be pink, depending on how you mix that shit..."; the line serving as a blatant reference to the mixture.
References to the substance are appearing in other musical genres. Southern punk band Black Lips
Black Lips
Black Lips are a "Flower Punk" band from Atlanta, Georgia.-History:The band formed in 1999 in Dunwoody, Georgia after guitarist Cole Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley left the Renegades, and guitarist Ben Eberbaugh left the Reruns. Alexander and Swilley were known for their crude antics both...
' song "I Saw A Ghost (Lean)" is about a trip on purple drank: "Well if you've got that lean, come on give me a sip. If the police only knew that blue lights induce a trip." In addition, the legal commercial product named "Drank" is depicted in several music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s, including the Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
music video for "Bottle Pop
Bottle Pop
"Bottle Pop" is a song by American pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their second album, Doll Domination . Written by Fernando Garibay, Nicole Scherzinger and Sean Garrett who also produced it, was released as the fourth single in Oceania and Germany. Snoop Dogg is featured only in the album's...
," the Flo Rida
Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from...
video for the song "Sugar
Sugar (Flo Rida song)
"Sugar" is an electro-hop song by American rapper Flo Rida, featuring singer Wynter Gordon. The song was written by Flo Rida and the Jackie Boyz and was produced by DJ Montay for the rapper's second album, R.O.O.T.S....
," and the Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
video for the single "Turnin Me On."
In the 2010 song by Dev
Dev (singer)
Devin Star Tailes , better known by her stage name Dev, is an American singer. She was discovered by The Cataracs via MySpace after her friend Shane Crislip, posted her singing to some beats...
called "Booty Bounce" the drink is mentioned as well as Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia
Three 6 Mafia are an Academy Award-winning, American rap group originating from Memphis, Tennessee. Formed in 1991 as Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Juicy J, & Lord Infamous, the group at its most featured six members including; Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo and Koopsta Knicca...
"...sippin sizzurp in my ride, like Three 6..." This same verse was used in the song, "Like a G6
Like a G6
"Like a G6" is a song from Far East Movement's 2010 album Free Wired. The track features female vocals by Dev and male vocals by Far East Movement. It was written and produced by The Cataracs. It was number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks ending November 6, 2010, and then again for...
" by Far East Movement
Far east movement
Far East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman...
featuring Dev
Dev (singer)
Devin Star Tailes , better known by her stage name Dev, is an American singer. She was discovered by The Cataracs via MySpace after her friend Shane Crislip, posted her singing to some beats...
, herself. In the song Orange Juice by EarlWolf from the OFWGKTA
OFWGKTA
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, often abbreviated OFWGKTA and also known simply as Odd Future or Golf Wang, is an alternative hip hop collective from Los Angeles, California...
mixtape Radical, rapper Tyler, the Creator
Tyler, the Creator
Tyler Okonma , better known by his stage name Tyler, The Creator, is an American rapper, record producer, music video director, actor, graphic artist and fashion designer from Los Angeles, currently signed to English independent record label XL Recordings and his own record label, Odd Future...
describes himself: "Sip sizzurp, Supreme on my shizzirt, I munch a bunch of tacos with Waverly's favorite wizard".
Notable deaths from use
Purple drank is confirmed or suspected to have caused the deaths of several prominent users. Respiratory depression is a potentially serious or fatal adverse drug reaction associated with the use of codeineCodeine
Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...
, but mainly the danger lies in the much more potent and CNS
Central nervous system
The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
-depressing
CNS depression
Central nervous system depression or CNS depression refers to physiological depression of the central nervous system that can result in decreased rate of breathing, decreased heart rate, and loss of consciousness possibly leading to coma or death...
phenothiazine-related antihistamine promethazine. This depression is dose-related and is the mechanism for the potentially fatal consequences of overdose: respiratory
Respiratory arrest
Respiratory arrest is the cessation of breathing. It is a medical emergency and it usually is related to or coincides with a cardiac arrest. Causes include opiate overdose, head injury, anaesthesia, tetanus, or drowning...
or cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
. As with most CNS depressants, mixing with alcohol greatly increases the risk of respiratory failure and other complications.
DJ Screw
DJ Screw
Robert Earl "DJ Screw" Davis, Jr. was a Houston, Texas-based DJ. He was known as a central figure in the Houston hip-hop community and was the creator of the now-famous Chopped and Screwed DJ technique...
, who popularized the codeine-based drink, died of a codeine-promethazine-alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
overdose on November 16, 2000, several months after the video to Three 6 Mafia's single debuted.
Big Moe
Big Moe
Kenneth Moore , better known by his stage name Big Moe, was an American rapper/singer from Houston, Texas...
, a DJ Screw protegé whose albums City of Syrup
City of Syrup
City of Syrup is the first album by southern rapper Big Moe. It is a concept album about purple drank. There is also a "Wreckchopped and Screwed" version of this album-Track listing:# "Momma M.O.E "# "Barre Baby"...
and Purple World
Purple World (album)
-Track listing:...
were based on the drink and who has been described as having "rapped obsessively about the drug," died at age 33 on October 14, 2007, after suffering a heart attack one week earlier that left him in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
. There was speculation that purple drank may have contributed to his death.
Pimp C
Pimp C
Chad Lamont Butler , better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper, singer, and producer...
, widely influential Port Arthur, Texas
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...
rapper and a member of rap duo UGK
UGK
UGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler . He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner...
, was found dead on December 4, 2007, at the Mondrian Hotel
Mondrian Hotel
The Mondrian Hotel is the name of three boutique hotels owned and/or operated by the Morgans Hotel Group.-Mondrian Los Angeles:The original Mondrian Hotel is located on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. The structure was built in 1959 as an apartment building. It was later renovated...
in West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood, a city of Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984, with a population of 34,399 at the 2010 census. 41% of the city's population is made up of gay men according to a 2002 demographic analysis by Sara Kocher Consulting for the City of West Hollywood...
. The Los Angeles County Coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
's office reported that the rapper's death was "due to promethazine/codeine effects and other unestablished factors." Ed Winter, assistant chief of the coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
's office, said the levels of the medication were elevated, but not enough to deem the death an overdose. However, Pimp C had a history of sleep apnea
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep. Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Similarly, each abnormally low...
, a condition that causes one to stop breathing for short periods during sleep. A spokesman for the coroner's office said that the combination of sleep apnea and cough medication probably suppressed Pimp C's breathing long enough to bring on his death.
Other notable incidents
In September 2006, Terrence KielTerrence Kiel
Terrence Dewayne Kiel was an American safety in the National Football League. He played his entire career for the San Diego Chargers after being drafted by them in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas A&M.-Early years:Kiel was born in Lufkin, Texas...
, a San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
player, was arrested during practice for the possession with intent to sell prescription cough syrup for use in making the drink. Kiel was caught trying to ship a case of syrup to a friend via Fed Ex. Kiel was charged with two felony counts of transporting a controlled substance and three counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance.
On July 8, 2008, Johnny Jolly
Johnny Jolly
Johnny Ray Jolly, Jr. is an American football defensive end, who is serving an indefinite suspension from the National Football League's Green Bay Packers...
, a Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
player, was pulled over in his car for excessive music. The officers found a Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper is a soft drink, marketed as having a unique flavor. The drink was created in the 1880s by Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904 and is now also sold in Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, Australia ...
bottle in a holder next to two Styrofoam cups containing soda and ice. The officers said the cups and the bottle all emitted "strong odors of codeine." The case was dismissed at first, but charges were refiled in December 2009 after the Houston Police Department's acquired new equipment that allowed the police to test the evidence again. Jolly faced a possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years in jail, but as a first time offender he would be eligible for probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
.
On July 5, 2010, former Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Trenell Russell is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Russell played college football for the LSU Tigers where he finished 21–4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Oakland Raiders selected Russell with the first overall pick of the 2007...
was arrested at his home in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, for possession of codeine syrup without a prescription. He was arrested as part of an undercover narcotics investigation. Russell was booked into city jail and released soon afterwards after making his bail.
Commercial products
Several legal commercial products loosely based on "purple drank" are marketed in the United States. In June 2008 Innovative Beverage Group, a Houston, Texas-based company, released a beverage called "DrankDrank (soda)
Drank is a grape flavored soft drink sold in the United States and Canada. It is marketed as a "Non-Energy" drink which causes relaxation as opposed to a sugar or caffeine jolt....
." The commercial product contains no codeine or promethazine, but claims to "Slow Your Roll" with a combination of herbal ingredients such as valerian root and rose hips as well as the hormone melatonin
Melatonin
Melatonin , also known chemically as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a naturally occurring compound found in animals, plants, and microbes...
.
Similar "relaxation" or "anti-energy" drinks on the commercial market use the names "Purple Stuff", "Sippin Syrup", and "Lean".
Criticism
These commercial products have been criticized for their potential to serve as gateways to the dangerous illegal concoction. At a mental health conference in February 2010, Dr. Ronald Peters, Jr., of the University of Texas Health Science Center said of "Drank": "They're taking the name, and they're trying to market it to young people." He described the beverage as "the worst thing I've ever seen on the street since the making of candy cigarettesCandy cigarettes
Candy cigarettes is a candy introduced in the early 20th century made out of chalky sugar, bubblegum or chocolate, wrapped in paper as to resemble cigarettes. Their place on the market has long been controversial because many critics believe the candy desensitizes children, leading them to become...
."