Cough syrups ineffective

According to a committee of the American College of Chest Physicians, over-the-counter cough syrups do little to relieve coughs. Either the products contain drugs in too low of a dose, or contain combinations of drugs that have never been proven to treat coughs.

The committee goes so far to discourage the use of the medicines altogether, because their use as a first remedy can prolong diagnoses of coughs more serious, such as whopping cough.

Journal Chest, January 2006

Steve - I found this in our archives.

Cough Medicines Have No Benefit -
Night-time cough and sleep quality were not better with cough mixtures than with a simple, non-medicated syrup. Echoing the results of this study, the British Thoracic Society said "Cough medications don't do any harm to people who take them, but...neither do they have any medical benefits beyond those of non-medicated syrup." Pediatrics 7/6/04