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^{07:39 AM CST on Friday, February 23, 2007}

By JASON TRAHAN / The Dallas Morning News

Original Story at:

Easy to get in

A mixer can get into business with a relatively small capital investment – maybe a few weeks of wages saved slinging Happy Meals at McDonald’s.

“Juvenile dealers are purchasing black tar [heroin] at $20 to $30 at a time, from adult heroin dealers,” Officer Liebbe said. An average dealer can double their money rather quickly, he said.

Most, though, aren’t in it for the profits.

“A lot of our cheese dealers are dealing in a way to support their own habits,” Officer Liebbe said.

That was the story Dallas police heard from a young man arrested early Thursday morning walking near an apartment complex on Clydedale Drive near Northwest Highway and Harry Hines Boulevard. Police took him into custody after he dropped a folded piece of notebook paper, a common way of carrying the drug. The youth admitted to the officers it contained cheese and told them he is an addict who has been making it at home and selling it at school for the past two years, reports show.

“A huge amount of them are unsupervised children,” said Carlos Cruz, an anti-drug and anti-gang counselor, explaining how the drug has hit Hispanic families hardest.

“Their parents work 10 to 12 hours a day, so it’s easy to hide,” he said. “They know when their parents are coming home and when they come home they are exhausted and just want to go to sleep. They ask them how they are doing, how school is, give them a kiss on the cheek and go to sleep.”

One consequence of having drug-addicted teens “cutting” the drug is wildly inconsistent doses of cheese. Some may contain virtually no heroin, others up to 10 percent – a potentially deadly dose, authorities said.

Novice dealers are selling to novice drug users, a unique problem in itself, experts say.

Johnny Sides Rookie of the Year is selected from nominations made by supervisors in the department.  Selection is based on an employee’s overall performance for the year in such areas as work record, commendations, awards recieved and civic activities.  The Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce selects the Rookie of the Year from three nominations presented by the Meritorious Conduct Board.

Cruz is assigned as a telecommunications specialist within the coast guard Greater Antilles Section.  His pirmary duties and focus however, have been on drug awareness programs, specifically “Think About It”.

In 1995, Cruz designed, developed and implemented his “Think About It” drug awareness program.  Since that time, his program has grown into THE program to use in educating middle and high school students on drug abuse prevention.

Today Cruz’s program consists of three formatted presentations: one aimed at elementary school children, another targeting pre-teen and teenagers, and one designed specifically to deucate parents, teachers, and supervisors.  His program has been applauded by such organizations as the FBI, DEA, U.S. Customs Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons as the most effective drug educaiton program on the island of Puerto Rico.  The Governor’s Office of Youth Affairs has featured Cruz as a guest speaker at local events throughout the island.