AHS Views

The cheese heroin deaths of two dozen children has prompted a $100 million federal grant for school districts in Dallas/Ft. Worth to educate children and parents on the dangers of the drug, according to a recent news article in the Carrollton Leader. While education certainly helps, the program unfortunately does not include drug rehab.

“There are not many treatment centers, and most of those that are on the voluntary basis are very expensive and out of the reach of some of our parents,” said Charles Cole, an assistant superintendent in a local school district. “That’s why we try to educate our parents on some things that they can do that would be helpful.”

Cheese heroin is heroin cut, or mixed with, less potent drugs such as Tylenol. The combination is perceived as less dangerous than heroin, but the number of overdose deaths in the area certainly doesn’t support that perception.

Education will help fight the drug, and fewer people will get hooked. But if some of that $100 million was spent on a successful drug rehab program, it would also help those who are currently addicted, and prevent deaths from overdose.