<P> Purple drank is a slang term for a concoction which includes a prescription - strength cough syrup used in a manner inconsistent with its labeling, thus making it a recreational drug . The mixture became popular in the hip hop community in the southern United States in the 1990s, originating in Houston . </P> <P> The prescription - strength cough syrup used in purple drank contains codeine and promethazine (not to be confused with dextromethorphan; DXM). The cough syrup, used in doses much higher than medically recommended, is typically mixed with ingredients such as the soft drinks Sprite or Mountain Dew and optionally "a Jolly Rancher hard fruit candy thrown in for extra sweetness ." The purplish hue of purple drank comes from dyes in the cough syrup . The amount of cough syrup used "can exceed up to 25 times the recommended dose ." The concoction is "Typically consumed out of Styrofoam cups". </P>

Type of cough syrup used in purple drank