Hazardous Substances
Cheese Heroin
Street names: cheese, Tylenol PM heroin, diphenhydramine heroin
Overdose? Act now. Call emergency services — say "unresponsive, not breathing". Give naloxone for opioid-like signs. Hotlines
⚡What it does
- Heroin sedation
- Strong drowsiness from diphenhydramine
- 'Nodding' within minutes
- Pain relief
⚠Key risks
- Marketed to and used by teenagers because it is cheap and snorted
- Respiratory depression
- Acetaminophen liver damage in heavy use
- Rapid dependence
- Fentanyl increasingly substituted in similar products
✚Overdose signs
- Slow or stopped breathing
- Unresponsive
- Blue lips
- Pinpoint pupils
Category comparison — Hazardous Substances
| Substance | Class | Top risks | Street price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheese Heroin | Illegal | Marketed to and used by teenagers because it is cheap and snorted; Respiratory depression | Emerged in Dallas, Texas around 2005 as a $2-per-hit product aimed at middle-school users. |
| Potassium Cyanide (KCN) | Not a drug — regulated toxic chemical | Lethal dose ~200–300 mg — death within minutes to an hour; No antidote available outside hospital; hydrogen cyanide gas from acid contact | N/A — sometimes sold fraudulently as 'peaceful exit' scams |
| Air Duster (Computer Duster / Canned Air) | Household product — not a drug; no age restriction on purchase | SUDDEN SNIFFING DEATH — the most deadly inhalant: difluoroethane sensitizes the heart to adrenaline; a sudden fright, chase, or exertion triggers fatal cardiac arrest. First-time users die; Frostbite to lungs and airway from direct spray | $3–$8 per can at any electronics/office store |
| Gasoline / Petrol Huffing | Not a drug — fuel product | Extremely toxic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, xylene); Sudden sniffing death — cardiac arrest | Effectively free — siphoned fuel |
| Glue / Solvent Sniffing | Not drugs — adhesives and solvents | The CLASSIC youth inhalant — peak use age 14–15; Sudden sniffing death from cardiac arrest | $1–$5 per tube/can — pocket money prices |
| Refrigerant / Freon Huffing | Not a drug — HVAC refrigerant | EXTREMELY dangerous — refrigerant gases (difluoroethane, tetrafluoroethane) cause sudden cardiac death at high rates; Frostbite to airways | Stolen/siphoned — no price, high death cost |
Street prices are regional estimates. Potency and cuts vary constantly.
?Frequently asked questions
What does Cheese Heroin look like?
Tan powder — a mixture of black tar heroin and crushed over-the-counter diphenhydramine/acetaminophen sleep tablets, typically snorted.
What are the signs of a Cheese Heroin overdose?
Slow or stopped breathing; Unresponsive; Blue lips Call emergency services immediately.
How addictive is it?
Marketed to and used by teenagers because it is cheap and snorted Dependence can develop with regular use.