Cheese is one of the many drugs found in schools throughout the United States. However, it has been making insidious inroads into the middle schools and high schools at an alarming rate. Parents need to be aware of what the substance is made of, signs of its abuse in their teens and effective ways of preventing their children from beginning experimentation.
Black Tar Heroin for the Masses
Black tar heroin has been manufactured into a recreational drug known as cheese. It is composed of approximately 5% pure heroin and cold relief tablets. The two are chopped together in preparation of the drug. It looks somewhat like powdered Parmesan cheese. The resulting product delivers a powerful, brief high. This effect is especially readily felt in first time users and in people with no other tolerances to repeated doses. It is especially dangerous because not only does it deliver a quick high, it does so for only $1 or $2 per hit. This price has made it readily available to younger adolescents.
Signs of Cheese Abuse
Cheese has similar side effects as any other heroin based narcotic. Abusers generally experience euphoria, lethargy, a sense of calm and become less aware of their surroundings. If you were observing someone using cheese, you would notice an almost instant change in mood, lessened anxiety and an expression of contentment. Five minutes later, you would likely notice another shift in mood, increased anxiety, nervousness and aggressive behavior.
Look for:
- Marked changes in behavior
- Oversleeping or excessive sleepiness
- Erratic patterns of anxiety or anger
- Associated paraphernalia such as empty ballpoint tubes to snort through, small zip bags, rolled dollar bills and credit cards or razors with residue
How to Decrease Cheese Abuse in Your Child
As with all drugs, communication is key to helping prevent abuse of drugs in your children. A common fear is communication increases the likelihood of drug use and recovery. However, the reality often is teenagers have already faced peer education and pressure relating to drugs. Talk openly and directly to your child about the drug, its street name (Cheese), why and what it does and why they should avoid it.
The more you demystify the experience of using a narcotic the less likely children will be to try them out of curiosity. Of course, getting down the neural chemicals involved would be unhelpful. Addressing the fact that narcotics change how the brain works and leaves it damaged after they are used should suffice. If you have a teen who is especially interested in sciences, be prepared to research the drug enough to talk intelligently.
Give another reason for your kids to say no by expressing your limits firmly and with genuine concern. For example, "Jane, I don't want you to use drugs because I do not want you to break the law and face consequences that would be very hard to handle. I care about your health. Your brain is developing very quickly right now and this could leave damage you would never recover from."
Being aware of the drugs your children are likely to be exposed to is your responsibility. "Cheese" presents a clear danger to children beginning in middle school. Communication is the key to helping your kids avoid the downfalls of abuse.
Reece Manley - Reece W. Manley, DD,M.Ed.MPM, works in a number of fields using his extensive experience and educational background in human development, ...
