racing to the red light

Ok – we realize that we’re taking a bit of editorial liberty with this one, and kicking someone while they’re down. It’s definitely a bit of Schadenfreude.

Evidently hip hop artist Lil’ Wayne was recently hospitalized for effects suffered from drinking too much “Sizzurp” – a cocktail of cough syrup with Codeine combined with certain other things – like Jolly Rancher hard candies and Xanex.

Here’s a choice quote from the L.A. Times article:

“Another source told US Weekly that Lil Wayne’s health problems could stem from his use of a popular drink combining cough syrup with codeine and other ingredients. ‘He drank too much Sizzurp to get a better high. He needs rehab, but he’s not close to death or anything. He’s fine and just coming down off the high.’ ”

In other articles it was stated that, as an opiate, Codeine can be as addictive as other drugs in that class, like heroin. And the detox effects can be fatal.

So perhaps none of this is exactly “Friday Funny” material, except in a kind of mean way. But, peep the image below from the LA Times – they have started inserting these ridiculous polls on EVERY news item. According to the poll of readers at the time we took the screen shot, a full 20% of readers would drink Sizzurp.