Mixing cough syrup and soft drinks or power drinks has become a popular to get high in some parts of the U.S., the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says.

USA Today reported Oct. 19 that users mix prescription cough suppressants containing promethazine and codeine with soda or sports drinks, sometimes adding a Jolly Rancher candy and ice. The mix causes euphoria and impairs motor skills.

The trend got national attention when Terrance Kiel, a defensive back for the San Diego Chargers, was arrested last month for allegedly having cases of cough syrup shipped to his home in East Texas. The cough-medicine cocktails, known as "Lean," "Sizzurp," "Purple Drank," or other nicknames, are especially popular in the region.

A 2004 survey found that 8.3 percent of Texas secondary-school students reported using codeine-based cough syrups to get high. Officials from Texas to Florida report misuse of the prescription medication. The syrup often is obtained from online pharmacies.

The syrup sells for about $12 a pint wholesale, but is sold for $300 a pint to dealers who then sell it for $40-85 per ounce to consumers ($640-$1,360 per pint).

Cough-syrup use has been popularized in rap songs, including mixes by Houston disc-jockey DJ Screw (who died of a cocaine overdose in 2000) and songs by Three 6 Mafia ("Sippin' on the Syrup").