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Of course parents should be concerned. I think parents should try and stay current on the drug trends. The more information they have the better equipped they will be talking to their kids. The sad fact is it won't just stay in Dallas, it will spread to other cities. With cell phones and the internet it is reasonable to assume it will show up in other cities. Parents are the first line of defense in combating the drug epidemic. "Two-thirds of teens say that losing their parents' respect and pride is one of the main reasons they don't smoke marijuana or use other drugs," writes the Anti-Drug Campaign.

I know the DEA states this concoction of black tar heroine and Tylenol PM is not on the rise, but school counselors' state otherwise. By using the name "cheese," drug dealers are marketing the low-grade heroin to a younger crowd, many of them middle schoolers, unaware of its potential dangers, authorities say. This new drug has killed 21 teens in the Dallas area in the last two years. The sedative effects of the heroine and the antihistamine diphenhydramine make a deadly combination. "It becomes much more appealing to younger kids because it doesn't have the stigma, they're not as afraid to get started," Dr. Collin Goto of the Children's Medical Center in Dallas told the AP.

The DEA and Dallas Officials have teamed up to bring awareness to the public. They are conducting assemblies, professional lectures, PTA meeting, and classroom discussions. Also a hotline has been setup for tips about "cheese". It seems that it is not the Drug Cartels that have orchestrated this new version of heroine. It is the disorganized lower level dealers, which are mostly gang members. It is just another sad attempt to market drugs to children.

Learn more about this author, Karen A Stoots.
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