JEMIMAH NOONOO, Houston Chronicle
- First came Red Bull and Monster Energy, giving a high-octane boost to late-night parties and study sessions.
Now the anti-energy drinks have arrived, carbonated beverages that promise to help you “slow your roll” or “lean with it.”
But with their hip-hop-inspired advertising campaigns, Drank and Purple Stuff are generating a buzz that is anything but chill.
“I am very concerned about the marketing,” said Ronald Peters, a University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health professor. Peters has researched the phenomenon of mixing codeine syrup with soft drinks or alcohol, a concoction that is believed to have factored in the deaths of three local rap stars.
“Sippin’ syrup” is believed to have originated in Houston and it remains a common topic for Southern rappers. “Drank,” “purple stuff” and “lean” are street terms for the illicit mixture.
Peters said he worries the new canned beverages could be a gateway for youth who want to experience the slowed-down effect of cough-syrup abuse. He called the products a step in the wrong direction and criticized them as “one of the most asinine things I have ever seen.”
