Kamil Perry
Cheese is a highly addictive illicit drug that is a combination of heroin and crushed tablets of certain over-the-counter cold medication, such as Tylenol PM. The drug first appeared in Dallas, Texas, around 2004 and quickly spread through the city, with users as young as 9 years old suffering from withdrawal symptoms. The drug is typically snorted and has been linked to several overdose deaths in the area.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Heroin, acetaminophen (paracetamol), diphenhydramine |
| Other ingredients | Hydrochloride salts, HCl ions, water |
| Form | Powder, liquid, smoke |
| Intake methods | Injection, insufflation ("snorting"), smoking |
| Alternative names | "Tylenol With Smack", "Chiva", "starter heroin" |
| Origin | Dallas, Texas |
| Year of emergence | 2004 |
| User demographics | Hispanic children and adolescents, White and Black teenagers |
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What You'll Learn
- Cheese is a combination of black tar heroin and Tylenol PM tablets
- It is a highly addictive, cheap, and easily accessible drug
- It is typically snorted, but can also be injected, smoked, or taken rectally
- It is called cheese due to its resemblance to grated Parmesan or as a mispronunciation of chiva, Mexican slang for heroin
- The drug gained media attention after a string of adolescent deaths in Dallas, Texas, in the mid-2000s
Cheese is a combination of black tar heroin and Tylenol PM tablets
Cheese is a highly addictive illicit drug that is a combination of black tar heroin and Tylenol PM tablets. It is a cheap and accessible drug that has been known to affect children, teens, and young adults.
Black tar heroin is a gummy, tar-like substance that can be converted into a dry powder by mixing it with another substance, such as diphenhydramine or lactose. Tylenol PM is a widely available over-the-counter drug that contains the antihistamine diphenhydramine and the painkiller acetaminophen. It is typically packaged in small plastic "baggies" or pieces of notebook paper.
To create cheese, the black tar heroin is mixed with crushed Tylenol PM tablets. This mixture is then optionally added to a water solution and carefully titrated with hydrochloric, acetic, or citric acid to yield up to 99.9% pure "cheese" heroin in salt form. This step can be excluded to create a super pure base form that can be smoked.
The popularity of cheese as a drug began around 2004 in Dallas, Texas, and primarily affected Hispanic youths. It is often taken by insufflation ("snorting") rather than by intravenous injection. The drug has been linked to several adolescent deaths in Dallas County, Texas, and other North Texas locations.
The addition of central nervous system depressants like Tylenol PM and diphenhydramine HCL to the mix heightens the risk of respiratory depression and overdose. Due to the varying concentrations of each component in cheese, abuse and overdose of the drug are more dangerous than pure-form opiate overdoses.
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It is a highly addictive, cheap, and easily accessible drug
Cheese is a highly addictive, cheap, and easily accessible drug that has been prevalent among young people in Dallas, Texas, particularly in Hispanic immigrant neighbourhoods. It is a combination of drugs, primarily made by mixing heroin with crushed tablets of certain over-the-counter cold medications, such as Tylenol PM. The heroin used is typically Mexican black tar heroin, which has a lower purity of around 2-8% compared to the 30% commonly found in black tar heroin. This makes it a cheaper alternative.
Tylenol PM, also known as acetaminophen, is a widely available and affordable over-the-counter drug that contains the antihistamine diphenhydramine and the painkiller acetaminophen. By mixing heroin with Tylenol PM, drug makers create a profitable product that is highly addictive and easily accessible to young people. The drug is often packaged in small plastic "baggies" or pieces of notebook paper, making it easy to carry and conceal.
The low cost and accessibility of cheese have contributed to its widespread use among young people, with reports of children as young as nine suffering from the effects of withdrawal. The drug can be ingested in various ways, including injection, snorting, and smoking, making it even more appealing to young users. The most popular method of ingestion is snorting, as it is perceived as less dangerous than intravenous injection.
The highly addictive nature of cheese heroin has led to a significant number of young people requiring treatment for addiction. The drug's potency and the addition of central nervous system depressants like Tylenol PM and diphenhydramine HCL increase the risk of respiratory depression and overdose. The varying concentrations of ingredients in different batches of cheese make it challenging for emergency personnel to address overdose cases effectively.
The outbreak of cheese heroin use among young people in Dallas has prompted local authorities to take action. Arrests of drug dealers in schools and neighbourhoods have increased, and aggressive education programs have been implemented in schools to raise awareness of the dangers of this highly addictive and easily accessible drug.
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It is typically snorted, but can also be injected, smoked, or taken rectally
Cheese is a highly addictive illicit drug that is typically snorted, but it can also be injected, smoked, or taken rectally. It is a combination of heroin and crushed tablets of certain over-the-counter cold medication, such as Tylenol PM. Tylenol PM is a widely available over-the-counter drug that contains the antihistamine diphenhydramine and the painkiller acetaminophen. It can be purchased in most pharmacies.
The process of making cheese involves mixing black tar heroin with Tylenol PM tablets. The heroin base binds to opioid receptors on brain cells in different areas of the body to produce euphoria and sedation. The addition of Tylenol PM and diphenhydramine HCL increases the risk of respiratory depression and overdose.
Cheese is typically snorted through a tube, straw, or ballpoint pen. However, it can also be injected intravenously or smoked. Some users have also reported taking it rectally. The variety of administration methods contributes to the drug's appeal and accessibility, especially among young users.
The popularity of cheese as a recreational drug has led to severe consequences, especially among young people. Its low cost, accessibility, and deceptive nature (being disguised as crushed Tylenol PM tablets) have contributed to its widespread use. Unfortunately, the drug has been linked to several adolescent deaths and has attracted the attention of law enforcement and health officials.
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It is called cheese due to its resemblance to grated Parmesan or as a mispronunciation of chiva, Mexican slang for heroin
"Cheese" is the name given to a mixture of heroin and crushed tablets of certain over-the-counter cold medication, such as Tylenol PM. The name "cheese" may be due to its resemblance to grated Parmesan cheese or a mispronunciation of "chiva", a Mexican slang term for heroin.
The drug, which first appeared in Dallas, Texas, around 2004, is also known as "Tylenol with Smack" and has been referred to as "starter heroin" by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. It is a highly addictive and dangerous form of heroin that has been linked to several adolescent deaths in Dallas County and other North Texas locations.
Cheese heroin typically appears as a tan-colored powder and is usually snorted, although it can also be injected, smoked, or taken rectally. The drug is often packaged and sold in single-use small plastic "baggies" or in little pieces of notebook paper.
The onset of cheese heroin use occurred primarily among youths living in neighborhoods populated by first-generation Hispanic immigrants, and it quickly spread throughout Dallas and into areas outside of Dallas County. The drug's low cost, at only a couple of dollars, made it easily accessible to children, teens, and young adults.
The combination of heroin and Tylenol PM creates a unique set of risks and side effects. Tylenol PM contains the active ingredients acetaminophen (paracetamol) and diphenhydramine, an antihistamine. Very high doses of acetaminophen can cause acute liver failure and death, and the risk of respiratory depression and overdose is heightened when central nervous system depressants are added to the mix.
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The drug gained media attention after a string of adolescent deaths in Dallas, Texas, in the mid-2000s
The drug "cheese" is a combination of black tar heroin and crushed Tylenol PM tablets. It is a highly addictive and cheap form of heroin that can be ingested in a variety of ways, including injection, snorting, and smoking. The drug gained media attention after a string of adolescent deaths in Dallas, Texas, in the mid-2000s.
The outbreak of cheese heroin use began in Dallas, Texas, around 2004 and primarily affected Hispanic adolescents in first-generation immigrant neighborhoods. The drug was cheap and easily accessible to children, teens, and young adults, with a single dose costing only a few dollars. The district handled fifty-four property cases and found twenty-four felony offenses involving "cheese" between August 15, 2005, and March 1, 2006, at eleven schools.
The drug is particularly dangerous due to the addition of central nervous system depressants like Tylenol PM and diphenhydramine HCL, which heighten the risk of respiratory depression and overdose. Very high doses of acetaminophen, an active ingredient in Tylenol, can cause acute liver failure and death within hours. The varying concentrations of ingredients in each batch of the drug make it difficult for users to determine a safe dose, increasing the risk of accidental overdose.
The string of adolescent deaths attributed to cheese heroin in Dallas brought the issue to the forefront, with law enforcement and health officials scrambling to address the outbreak. The county formed a cheese heroin task force, and arrests of heroin dealers in schools and neighborhoods increased, along with aggressive education programs in schools. The Dallas Morning News reported a decrease in arrests for Cheese in the DISD in the 2007-2008 school year, suggesting that users were taking more care to conceal the drug or avoid bringing it to schools.
The drug's deadly effects and accessibility to minors highlighted the need for urgent action and brought attention to the issue of drug abuse among adolescents in Dallas, Texas. The outbreak of cheese heroin use in Dallas served as a wake-up call to the community and authorities, leading to increased efforts to combat the issue and protect vulnerable youth from the devastating consequences of drug addiction.
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Frequently asked questions
The "cheese" drug is made by combining heroin with crushed tablets of certain over-the-counter cold medication, such as Tylenol PM.
Tylenol PM is a widely available over-the-counter drug that features the antihistamine diphenhydramine and the painkiller acetaminophen.
To make the "cheese" drug, the heroin is mixed with Tylenol PM tablets to create a dry powder. Water is sometimes added to the heroin.
The "cheese" drug is commonly taken by insufflation ("snorting") or through intravenous injection. It can also be smoked.
The "cheese" drug produces similar side effects to heroin, such as euphoria and sedation. However, the addition of central nervous system depressants like Tylenol PM and diphenhydramine HCL increases the risk of respiratory depression and overdose.
