A rapper has revealed how easy it is to purchase a highly addictive, over-the-counter drug without a script at Australian pharmacies.

Dihydrocodeine tartrate, sold as the cough syrup Rikodeine, is a derivative of codeine, and there are now concerns teenagers are purchasing it to mix with soft drink or alcohol to make what’s known as “purple drank” or “lean”.

Rapper 4orttune, from Wollongong in New South Wales, has shared how easy it is to access Rikodeine in a video posted online. He says he acquired the medicine after telling a pharmacist he got a cough from his nan’s cat.

Doctors say it’s difficult to know just how prolific the problem is, as there’s a huge lack of data.

Rikodeine is a respiratory depressant, as is alcohol, and both slow down your breathing rate. Medical practitioners are therefore concerned that when combined, they could slow a person’s breath enough to cause brain damage or even death.

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