Pubdate: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 Source: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (TX) Copyright: 2007 Star-Telegram Operating, Ltd. Contact: http://www.star-telegram.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/162 Authors: Paul Bourgeois And Shirley Jinkins Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) TWO TARRANT COUNTY DEATHS LINKED TO 'CHEESE' HEROIN MIX ARLINGTON -- Two men are dead, and drug-prevention experts are warning that a toxic mix of heroin and over-the-counter medicine has arrived in Tarrant County. The Tarrant County medical examiner's office has ruled that the July 7 death of 26-year-old Pedro Duque in Fort Worth and the July 31 death of James David Burnette, a 17-year-old who had attended Martin and Venture high schools in Arlington, were caused by "cheese," a mix of heroin and diphenhydramine, which is found in common allergy medicines and pain relievers. "Unfortunately, it was just a matter of time before it hit us," said Judith Arispe, an Arlington school district intervention specialist with the Safe & Drug-Free Schools program. She was among 300 educators, narcotics-abuse experts and law enforcement officials who gathered Thursday at Tarrant County College South Campus to discuss how to combat the substance. Cheese had previously been implicated in at least 26 area deaths: 24 in Dallas County and one each in Collin and Rockwall counties. Burnette died at home in front of his computer, four days before his 18th birthday. The medical examiner ruled his death accidental but determined that he had taken a combination of heroin and diphenhydramine. The drug mix produces euphoria and a mild hallucinogenic effect, but the chemicals can also restrict respiration and cause death. Burnette's family did not return calls seeking comment Friday. Arlington police said the family did not wish to speak publicly about the death. An Arlington police news release said investigators had not found evidence of cheese during drug raids or arrests, but they will continue to monitor the situation. The Tarrant County medical examiner's office is reviewing other cases to determine whether they are cheese-related, spokeswoman Linda Anderson said. Officials with Tarrant County Challenge Inc., a 23-year-old agency that tracks alcohol and substance abuse, believe the July deaths are the first attributed to cheese in the county. "We anticipated it hitting us this school year," said John Haenes, Tarrant County Challenge chief operating officer. The agency organized Thursday's conference on the drug. Drug history Cheese first surfaced in Dallas in August 2006 and quickly spread through the school district, said Jeremy Liebbe of the Dallas school district's police department. In Dallas, cheese is most popular among teens in grades seven through nine, though the district has found some users as young as 10, Liebbe said. The drug is cheap and easy to make, experts said. Black-tar heroin is routinely transported up Interstate 35 from Mexico and sold on the streets of Dallas, Haenes said. Mixing it with generic over-the-counter medications cuts the price. Cheese requires no cooking or needles. Users typically snort it. Haenes said a hit costs about $2 in Dallas. "The problem is many of the kids think cheese is harmless," Haenes said. Cheese is the "drug of choice" for Hispanic males, Haenes said, and 62 percent of users are Hispanic. About 38 percent are Anglo, he said. "It could just be that the trend is so new that it hasn't spread to other races," Haenes said. Arispe said Arlington's Safe & Drug-Free Schools program has been conducting intervention programs on the danger of cheese since spring 2006. "We emphasize to them that it's heroin," Arispe said. "A lot of kids that end up in treatment may have to go through the program two or three times to wean themselves off of the drug, it's so powerful." Young users report that they didn't perceive the drug as dangerous at first because it is snorted, not injected, Arispe said. "Here's the part that really upsets me: the giddy, silly way little kids refer to 'cheese,'" said Tony Arangio, director of Arlington's Safe & Drug-Free Schools program. "In media reports, the first word is always cheese, not heroin. That's the dastardly part of that." Staff writer Alex Branch contributed to this report. [sidebar] --- 'Cheese' heroin Tarrant County has had its first two confirmed deaths by "cheese," a cheap drug made by combining heroin with over-the-counter allergy or headache medications such as Benadryl or Tylenol PM. Also known as: Chees, Cheez, Chez, Chz, Queso, Keso, Ksoh Effects: Brief but intense euphoria Alternate states of restlessness and lethargy Disorientation Constricted pupils Slowed breathing Irregular heartbeat Changes in appetite Behavioral warning signs: Loss of enthusiasm and signs of depression Withdrawal from normal activities Truancy and unexplained drop in grades Irritability and overreaction to criticism Unusual requests for money Decreased interest in appearance Unexplained changes in friends Frequent nasal or sinus infections Source: Tarrant County Challenge Senate bill The U.S. Senate passed a bill Friday that would add "cheese" heroin to the list of illegal drugs targeted by National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. The public awareness program is carried out by the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the White House and aims to prevent drug abuse among young people. Current law directs the campaign to target marijuana and methamphetamines. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom