News Writing

2008 TPA Better Newspaper Contest

First Place D8

Rockwall County News

Officials say Heath teen’s death a sad wake-up call

School district, PTA join forces with FBI for Nov. 7 program at Utley Center on news drugs

By TEREASA NIMS

When a 16-year-old Heath girl died last month from suspected use of cheese, a heroin-based drug, it was clear that the feared drug had made its way to Rockwall County.

"You kept hearing that it was around," said Denise Smith, president of Rockwall Council of PTAs. "Now it has hit here. For myself, that was a wake-up call."

While Rockwall police suspect cheese played a role in the death, toxicology results weren't in as of Wednesday. However, cheese and other illicit drugs were found in the Rockwall High School junior's possession during the investigation of her death, said Rockwall Police Lt. Carl Alsabrook.

Smith later learned that cheese, a low-grade heroin mixed with a crushed over-the-counter medication such as Tylenol PM, was primarily a North Texas drug.

"That caught [many parents] off guard," Smith said.

With many new street drugs appearing — many that differ from the ones students' parents grew up with — the PTA opted to help educate. At the group's August meeting, they decided to join with the school district to host a drug program to focus on new drugs. The program is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at the Utley Freshman Center and sponsored by the FBI.

The program will focus on the new street drugs such as cheese, strawberry quick and pop rocks.

"This is designed to teach parents and students what they should know about drugs and what they should look for," Smith said.

Smith admits the teen's September death makes the event timely. There have been an estimated 40 cheese-related deaths in the Dallas area since 2004.

"How many kids do we need to bury before we address [cheese] in a much bigger way than we've been addressing it?" Michelle Hemm, program director of Phoenix House, a Dallas-based substance abuse treatment center, asks.

Hemm has seen a growing concern about cheese in the past year.

"In the last year there's been a 400 percent increase in the number of people calling and saying, 'I'm using cheese,' or 'I think my kid is using cheese," Hemm said.

The number of calls rose from an estimated 60 to an estimated 240.

"I would say people are concerned,” Hemm said.

Cheese costs $2 a hit and less if the person buys the low-grade heroin and mixes it themselves with an over-the-counter drug, said special agent Steve Robertson of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Once the users are hooked on the low-grade heroin, Robertson said the dealers try to get them addicted to the full-strength heroin.