Lil Wayne and Lean: Understanding the Risks of Purple Drank Addiction
Lean—aka “purple drank”—is a deceptively sweet cocktail of codeine cough syrup and soda that’s been glamorized in hip-hop circles, with Lil Wayne’s own brushes with seizures and hospital stays showing just how deadly the brew can be. What starts as a fast pass to euphoria can quickly become a nightmare of respiratory depression, organ damage and crippling dependence—proof that those Instagram-worthy purple cups are anything but harmless.







































































































