It sounds as disgusting as it is dangerous ... "sleepy chicken" is what it's called ... some people say it helps with cold symptoms ... duh.

Thing is ... it's also unsafe. Meds that are boiled can be dangerous because they're much more concentrated and powerful and change properties ... so says the FDA.

What's more ... just smelling it can be dangerous. Folks at the FDA say inhaling vapors during the cooking process causes the drug to enter the cook's system, causing potential lung damage.

People who are doing this are often using way more than the recommended dosages, and that's a big problem.