Man Robs South River Rite Aid to Steal 'Purple Drank' Cough Syrup with Codeine

South River, NJ - A 25-year-old South River man broke into the Rite Aid on Prospect Street Tuesday to steal prescription-strength cough syrup with codeine, a concoction used to get high that goes by the street names “lean,” ”purple drank” and ”syrup.”

Steven Weiss, 25, was caught by police trying to break into the Rite Aid at 231 Prospect Street at Old Bridge Turnpike at 3:27 a.m. Tuesday, South River police said. Police responded to the pharmacy after the burglar alarm went off, and found signs of forced entry.

Weiss broke into the store to steal promethazine with codeine, along with other prescription liquid cough medicine, police said.

The cough syrup is taken recreationally be combining it with Sprite or Mountain Dew. It is a severe depressant that has caused several deaths, and rapper Lil’ Wayne was reportedly hospitalized after drinking it. Promethazine is prescribed by doctors as an antihistamine, or to fight nausea, but physicians always warn against taking too much of the drug, or combining it with alcohol, as the effects can be very dangerous.

Weiss briefly tried to run from the police, but was caught. He was also found with a fake gun on him, police said. He was charged with burglary, theft, CDS possession, resisting arrest, among other charges.