[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 31 (Monday, February 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       IN HONOR OF THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL'S ``STREET TEAM''

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                           HON. PETE SESSIONS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 23, 2009

  Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the students of 
Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas, Texas for their commitment to 
reducing the number of ``cheese'' users at school. ``Cheese'' is a 
deadly combination of black tar heroin and over-the-counter drugs. The 
addictive combination has taken the lives of numerous teenagers in the 
Dallas area in the past few years.
  Since the first case of cheese was discovered at Thomas Jefferson 
High School in 2005, it has been considered the epicenter of the cheese 
epidemic and garnered national attention for the issue. However, a 
group of students--known as the ``Street Team''--decided to take action 
against this deadly drug trend in their school. These students took the 
initiative to create and implement a program that catered to the 
specific environment at their school. With the support of the Greater 
Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (GDCADA) and the Dallas 
Independent School District (DISD), they embarked on a multi-faceted 
social norms campaign to educate their peers and change the perception 
of cheese usage on campus. By correcting the perception of cheese use, 
they were able to also change behavior.
  I applaud the effort of the ``Street Team,'' the students of Thomas 
Jefferson and the faculty who have supported them to reduce cheese use 
on campus.

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