Randy Chandler
Cheese is a recreational drug that resembles Parmesan cheese in appearance and is made by combining heroin with crushed tablets of certain over-the-counter cold medication, such as Tylenol PM or Benadryl. The drug came to the attention of the media after a string of deaths among adolescents in Dallas, Texas, between 2005 and 2007. Due to its high concentrations of non-opiate substances, abuse and overdose of cheese are more dangerous than pure-form opiate overdoses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Form | Powder |
| Colour | Resembles Parmesan cheese |
| Consistency | Water-soluble |
| Administration | Snorting, smoking, injecting |
| Composition | Heroin, diphenhydramine, acetaminophen |
| Composition (%) | Heroin (2-8%), diphenhydramine, acetaminophen |
| Overdose effects | Severe, irreversible liver damage |
| Treatment | Same as for opioid or opiate addiction |
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What You'll Learn
The drug 'cheese' resembles Parmesan cheese
The drug cheese, also known as "cheese heroin", is a combination of drugs made by mixing heroin with crushed tablets of certain over-the-counter cold medication, such as Tylenol PM. The name "cheese" was chosen because the drug resembles Parmesan cheese in its final form. This dangerous drug has been marketed specifically to children and has resulted in a lowering of the age of teens admitted to treatment centres.
Cheese heroin is an illicit drug that has been particularly targeted at kids and young teens, with dealers cultivating naive children to become future addicts. The drug is designed to be more accessible to young people as it is snorted in powder form rather than injected, and its sedative effect can slow breathing to a dangerously low rate. The drug's high concentrations of non-opiate substances make abuse and overdose of cheese more dangerous than pure-form opiate overdoses.
The process of making cheese heroin involves combining heroin with diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, or acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. This mixture creates a powerful sedative that can be deadly, especially to younger users who are not familiar with the long-term dangers of opiates. The drug's powder form, achieved through evaporation, can be easily snorted and has contributed to its widespread use among young people.
To combat the growing problem of cheese heroin, local drugstores in 2007 began removing products commonly used to make the drug, such as Tylenol PM, from their shelves. Additionally, the Dallas Independent School District increased drug-sniffing dog patrols to help eliminate the drug from schools. Despite these efforts, cheese heroin continues to pose a significant risk to anyone who uses it, especially children and young teens.
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It is a combination of heroin and diphenhydramine
"Cheese" is an illicit, heroin-based recreational drug that is a combination of heroin and diphenhydramine. It is often marketed to children and young teenagers, who are attracted to it because it is snorted rather than injected. The drug is created by combining 2-8% of black tar heroin with diphenhydramine, an antihistamine found in over-the-counter cold medications such as Benadryl or Tylenol PM. The resulting powder, which resembles Parmesan cheese, can be insufflated ("snorted") or dissolved in water and injected.
The combination of heroin and diphenhydramine creates a powerful sedative effect that slows breathing to dangerously low rates and can even stop the respiratory response altogether. This makes cheese particularly dangerous, as overdose effects must be addressed for each component of the drug. The diphenhydramine in cheese can also cause severe, irreversible liver damage when taken in high doses over long periods of time.
Cheese first came to the attention of the media in the mid-2000s, after a string of deaths among adolescents in Dallas, Texas. It was found that between August 15, 2005, and March 1, 2006, the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) handled 54 property cases and found 24 felony offenses involving "cheese" at 11 schools. In response, DISD increased drug-sniffing dog patrols to eliminate the drug from its schools. Despite these efforts, as of mid-2007, police records for the northwest quadrant of Dallas showed almost daily arrests and confiscations of the drug.
The drug has been specifically marketed to children, and its effects have been devastating. In Dallas, 40 people, many of them children, have lost their lives since the drug was introduced. Treatment centers in Dallas have reported a lowering in the age of teens admitted to their programs, with some centers now admitting 11, 12, and 13-year-olds voluntarily or at a parent's request.
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It is often marketed to children and teenagers
"Cheese" is a heroin-based recreational drug that is often marketed to children and teenagers. It is a combination of drugs, made by combining heroin (2-8% of black tar heroin to be precise) with crushed tablets of certain over-the-counter cold medication, such as Tylenol PM or Benadryl. The drug got its name from the fact that it resembles Parmesan cheese. The dangerous mixture of heroin and diphenhydramine, the drug found in the OTC medications being used, creates a powerful sedative effect that can slow breathing to a dangerously low rate, even stopping the respiratory response altogether.
Cheese is often marketed to children and teenagers as a "starter heroin" or a gateway drug. The drug dealers target this younger demographic as they are more susceptible and naive, and can be cultivated into future addicts. The drug is also more accessible to young people as it is snorted in powder form rather than being injected, which may be a repellent to some.
The drug gained media attention after a string of deaths among adolescents in Dallas, Texas, between 2005 and 2007. It was found in several public middle and high schools in the area, and the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) reported 24 felony offenses involving "cheese" in this period. The drug was initially most prevalent among Hispanic teenagers, but as it spread to other regions, white and African-American children also became users.
The abuse of cheese is more dangerous than pure-form opiate overdoses due to the high concentrations of non-opiate substances relative to the diamorphine content. The acetaminophen content of the drug can induce severe, irreversible damage to the liver when taken in high doses for long periods of time. This has led to acute liver failure and even death in some cases.
The insidious nature of cheese heroin and the malevolent intentions of dealers pose a significant risk to children and teenagers who are unfamiliar with the long-term dangers of opiates.
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It is usually snorted, not injected
"Cheese" is a heroin-based recreational drug that is usually snorted, not injected. It is a combination of drugs, made by combining 2-8% of black tar heroin with crushed tablets of certain over-the-counter cold medication, such as Tylenol PM or Benadryl. The drug is often marketed to children and young teenagers, who may be more inclined to use it as it does not require needles or injections for use. The powder form of the drug is usually snorted, or taken by insufflation, rather than by intravenous injection.
The process of making "cheese" involves combining heroin and diphenhydramine, an antihistamine found in OTC medications, to create a powerful sedative effect. This mixture can slow breathing to dangerously low rates and even stop the respiratory response altogether. The non-opiate substances in the drug are present in high concentrations relative to the diamorphine content, making abuse and overdose of "cheese" more dangerous than pure-form opiate overdoses.
The drug made headlines when it appeared in several public middle and high schools in Dallas, Texas, and was dubbed "starter heroin" by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Dallas police. The marketing of the drug to children and its presence in schools led to an increase in drug-sniffing dog patrols to eliminate "cheese" from educational institutions. The drug is particularly dangerous for young people, as they may not be aware of the long-term dangers of opiates and the high concentrations of non-opiate substances in the drug can lead to severe and irreversible damage to the liver when taken in high doses over long periods of time.
The treatment approach for "cheese" heroin addiction is similar to that of other opioid or opiate addictions. However, due to the varying contents and concentrations of each component in the drug, emergency personnel must wait for the completion of a toxicology report or the manifestation of the effects of each drug overdose before beginning treatment.
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It is highly addictive
Cheese is a highly addictive, heroin-based recreational drug. It is a combination of drugs, made by combining heroin with crushed tablets of certain over-the-counter cold medication, such as Tylenol PM, which contains acetaminophen (paracetamol) and the antihistamine diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl. The drug is often marketed to children and young teens, with dealers cultivating naive children to become future addicts. The drug's growing use has led to a lowering in the age of teens admitted to treatment centres, with some centres admitting 11, 12, and 13-year-olds voluntarily or at a parent's request.
The highly addictive nature of cheese is due to the presence of casein, a protein found in all milk products. During digestion, casein releases opiates called casomorphins, which play with the dopamine receptors and trigger an addictive response. The combination of heroin and diphenhydramine creates a powerful sedative effect that can slow breathing to dangerously low rates and even stop the respiratory response altogether. This makes cheese especially dangerous for children and young teens who may not be aware of the long-term dangers of opiates.
The abuse and overdose of cheese are more dangerous than pure-form opiate overdoses due to the high concentrations of non-opiate substances relative to the diamorphine content of the drug. The acetaminophen content of the drug can induce severe, irreversible liver damage when taken in high doses for long periods of time. Very high doses of acetaminophen can cause acute liver failure and death within hours, and patients who survive will generally require a liver transplant.
The highly addictive nature of cheese has led to its widespread abuse and a string of deaths among adolescents in Dallas between 2005 and 2007. As of 2012, the drug use has shifted to older individuals who were teenagers around the period the drug was first discovered. Actions have been taken to curtail the manufacturing of cheese heroin, with local drugstores removing products commonly used to make the drug from their shelves. However, the drug continues to pose a significant risk to anyone who uses it, especially children and young teens.
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Frequently asked questions
The drug Cheese, also known as Cheese heroin, resembles Parmesan cheese. It is a powder that can be snorted or turned into a super pure base form that can be smoked.
Cheese is a combination of drugs, made by combining 2-8% of black tar heroin with crushed tablets of certain over-the-counter cold medication, such as Tylenol PM or Benadryl.
The name "Cheese" was chosen because the drug resembles Parmesan cheese in its final form after being processed into a powder.
