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Cornyn Commends Dallas Students For Creative Efforts to Fight “Cheese Heroin”
Joins Mayor Leppert and Dallas ISD Superintendent in recognizing student winners in anti-“cheese heroin” poster contest
Friday, January 11, 2008
DALLAS—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today joined Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa in recognizing 12 student winners of a recent poster contest aimed at developing effective anti-“cheese heroin” messages for Dallas youth. The three officials served as honorary co-chairs of the poster contest, which they launched in early October to encourage Dallas youth to learn more about the harmful effects of “cheese heroin” and participate in a campaign to stop its use among other children and teens.
“I’m proud of all the Dallas-area students who participated in this poster contest to help fight against ‘cheese heroin.’ Each one of them has contributed in an important way to our overall goal of ridding Dallas of this deadly drug. Many of these young people have witnessed firsthand the serious impact of ‘cheese heroin’ on their peers. They know best how to communicate the dangers of this drug in a creative, powerful way to other students,” Sen. Cornyn said. “The 12 students we recognized today developed the most effective messages of all the entries, and I congratulate them on their hard work and artistic talent.
“I also commend all of the teachers, administrators, law enforcement officials, and community leaders who have aggressively and proactively worked to curb the use of ‘cheese heroin.’ While the drug still remains a serious threat, progress is being made and more children are being protected. The way this community has come together to tackle a local problem before it becomes a national problem should serve as a source of inspiration for communities across the state and the nation.”
The contest was open to all middle and high school students in the Dallas ISD, and was sponsored by The Today Foundation, a Dallas-based non-profit dedicated to stemming drug abuse among area youth.
Over 100 submissions were received, and in December, a committee of judges including various community leaders selected 12 finalists based on the creativity, effectiveness, and artistic quality of their entries.
Sen. Cornyn has been committed to directing funding and attention to efforts to halt the use of “cheese heroin.” In September, the Senate passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Cornyn to add “cheese heroin” to the list of illegal drugs in the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. The campaign is a public awareness program carried out by the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the White House. The initiative prevents drug abuse among youth in the United States through public awareness efforts.
Most recently, Sen. Cornyn was able to secure $658,000 in the Fiscal Year 2008 federal spending package for drug treatment programs at the Phoenix House in Dallas. The Phoenix House is a non-profit alcohol and drug abuse treatment and prevention facility that has teamed up with school and community officials to help the fight against “cheese heroin.” The Phoenix House provides substance abuse treatment to teens struggling with addiction to drugs and alcohol and fields a growing number of requests from parents looking for help for their children.
The following 12 students were recognized at today’s event:
Juan Castaña, W. H. Adamson High School
Stephanie Sanchez, W. T. White High School
Melissa Tovar, L. G. Pinkston High School
Brenda Mata, L. G. Pinkston High School
Mariana Medina, L. G. Pinkston High School
Jamie Baldwin, L. G. Pinkston High School
Shaquisha Beecham, L. G. Pinkston High School
Kadavion Henderson, John B. Hood Middle School
Evelyn Cabrera, Sam Tasby Middle School
Eric Garcia, Sam Tasby Middle School
Brigette Reyes, W. E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy
Jamal Cole, Maynard H. Jackson Middle School
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