Lean
Lean, also called purple drank, is a drink made by mixing cough syrup with a fizzy drink. It may contain codeine, which is an opioid drug.
Also called:
- Dirty Sprite
- Purple Drank
What does it look like?
Lean is a liquid made by mixing a cough syrup with a fizzy drink. Typically, it contains codeine, an opioid drug, and promethazine, an antihistamine used to treat allergies, colds and as a sedative. Some may also contain other drugs which can make the effects stronger and more dangerous. Cough syrups used to make lean in other countries are not usually available in the UK, so lean sold in the UK may be made in different ways and you may not know what is in it.
Lean is normally a liquid, so people drink it.
How does it make you feel?
Lean may make people feel relaxed, calm or sleepy. This is because it may contain opioids such as codeine. Opioids are medicines doctors use to treat pain, and the effects might be similar to opioid painkillers. Antihistamines are medicines used for allergies like hay fever and some of them can make you feel sleepy.
Lean is a mixture of these drugs, so the amount of each drug might vary from one batch to another which could result in different effects. There could also be other drugs present in a mixture, so the effects could be unpredictable.
Physical health risks
Lean can be dangerous because it may contain opioids. Opioids can slow your breathing and cause you to overdose. The risks are higher because lean is not made or prescribed by a doctor or pharmacist. You may not know what is in it or how strong it is. These risks may include:
- Slowing your breathing and lowering your blood pressure. In serious cases, breathing can stop completely. Mixing lean with other drugs can be deadly, especially other drugs that slow breathing – such as alcohol, benzodiazepines like diazepam (Valium), or other opioid drugs. Promethazine also increases the risk of respiratory depression of opioids.
- Promethazine intoxication itself can cause adverse effects like drowsiness, heart and circulatory problems, hallucinations and seizures.
- As with other opioids, taking very high doses of codeine during pregnancy may lead to withdrawal symptoms in newborn babies.
- Quantities of drugs within a batch of lean may vary from one to another, this could mean more sedation or unpleasant effects compared to another.
Mental health risks
Some people use lean to cope with stress or low mood. Using any drug to escape bad feelings can increase the risk of becoming dependent on the drug. However, using lean often or for a long time, can make mental health problems worse. This might increase anxiety or cause you to feel low or down.
What is Lean cut with?
Lean or purple drank, is often a mixture combining codeine and promethazine (an antihistamine), but it could contain other opioids or drugs which makes it risky to consume.
Is it dangerous to mix with other drugs?
Mixing drugs is always risky but because lean often contains opioids, certain combinations are more likely to cause an overdose such as mixing with alcohol, benzodiazepines, ketamine.
What happens if I mix Lean and
Can you get addicted?
Yes. If lean contains codeine or another opioid it can be addictive. Using it often can give you cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Class: B
Lean often contains codeine. Codeine, and drinks or mixtures containing codeine, are Class B controlled drugs.
The unauthorised possession of a class B drug could get you community service or up to 5 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine.
Supplying it to someone else, including your friends, could get you the maximum penalty of a jail sentence, ranging from 14 years to life and/or an unlimited fine. It is also an offence to unlawfully produce a preparation containing a controlled drug.
Lean can also contain other drugs. If it contains a Class A drug, the mixture can be treated as Class A. Not knowing exactly what is in it may not protect you. If you are caught with it or selling it, you could be charged based on any controlled drug found in the mixture.
Was this information useful?