Kids' risky high might be as close as the medicine cabinet.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

COLUMBIA, S.C. _ Hip fortysomething parents might think they know what to look for when they suspect their kids of doing drugs: Bongs and rolling papers; needles and powder; maybe some remnants of stems and seeds.

They might not look for foil-backed packets of cold medicine with the pills punched out.

But abuse of over-the-counter drugs is a problem nationwide, especially among younger adolescents who can get the medicines at a drug store _ or at home.

"You may have an eye on your liquor cabinet, but not your medicine cabinet," said Brooks Metts, director of the Palmetto Poison Center at the University of South Carolina.

Word of mouth and Web sites supply kids with information on the LSD-like high of DXM, or dextromethorphan. It's found in various cough and cold medications including some versions of Nyquil, Robitussin and Coricidin.

"We've had calls from pharmacies saying they've had to watch their stock because these things are disappearing," Metts said.

DXM "can produce psychotic-type effects," he said.