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ALBANY, GA -- It’s called dextrethorphan and it’s one of the ingredients in over 100 over-the-counter medications.

Its effects are the reason that more and more Americans, particularly teenagers, are abusing products like Robitussin, NY Quil, and Dimetapp.

"People that do abuse it generally take about 25 times the recommended dose, which is probably about a bottle or two," said Ed Dozier of U-SAV-IT Pharmacy.

That practice is called robotripping, giving the user a sense of energy and euphoria.

But the side effects - including liver damage, high blood pressure, coma, and even death – have led the FDA to consider requiring prescriptions or ID checks to purchase some medications.

Even if the FDA does impose new regulations on medications like NY Quil, it may not be effective in curbing abuse, especially among teenagers. That’s because many of them already have access to all kinds of medications – right in their parents’ medicine cabinets.

Raiding the home for medications – prescription and otherwise – has given rise to teenage pill parties, something law enforcement is encountering on a regular basis.

"They get together and throw everything in one big bowl and then dig in," said Chief Don Cheek of the Dougherty County Police Department. "It’s like a smorgasbord of pharmaceutical drugs."

With or without FDA guidelines, Dozier says that educating children is the key to preventing abuse.

"Let them understand that drugs have a good use and a bad use and you’ve got to use them for the good reasons," said Dozier.