By Huma Syed/reporter
Students and community members gathered Feb. 27 on SE Campus to hear Drugs: Are You at Risk?
Deputy Tim Trammel and Chuck Weissman of the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office discussed illegal drugs found in the metroplex.
“We are not going to stand up here and preach to you about how bad drugs are,” Trammel said.
Trammel has been a prisoner escort for 17 years and a street officer for 15 years. He is also involved with watch groups. Weissman is a narcotics officer.
Trammel began by explaining various topics that fall under drugs and moved into an explanation of drug paraphernalia.
“Drug paraphernalia is any average thing used for the purpose of drugs,” he said.
Trammel brought examples of paraphernalia and told the group that one can receive a $500 fine for possession of the paraphernalia.
Illegal drug use can be costly on many levels, Trammel said. For instance, students can get kicked out of university housing for possession of drugs.
Joyce Fisher, SE Campus counselor, said students in the 1970s used their federal aid to buy illegal drugs.
Trammel described some of the illegal drugs common in this area and their street names.
Local police are seeing party drugs such as ecstasy and ketamine, Trammel said.
In addition, drugs like rohypnol and GHB frequently appear and are generally referred to as date-rape drugs. These are not addictive but are central nervous system depressants. Other drugs common in the DFW area are crystal meth and marijuana.
“Everyone and their dog were cooking meth in the ’90s in Tarrant County,” he said.
Trammel said that is no longer the case. Now meth cooking is done more outside of the United States.
Prescription drugs are also abused heavily, Trammel said. Zanax is one example of a commonly abused prescription drug.
“TCC students are having a problem with prescription drug abuse,” Fisher said.
After the presentation, students asked Trammel and Weissman questions.
One student asked if the federal government thinks drug users cannot change.
“I really don’t know what the federal government thinks,” Trammel said.
However, Trammel said the government is definitely fearful of the drug users that are out there.
Weissman works with a dog that sniffs out drugs and is certified to sniff out meth, cocaine, marijuana and heroin. His dog did not accompany him to the presentation.
Fisher asked if the dog would instantly have spotted anyone with drugs if he had been at the seminar.
Weissman said the officer has to direct the dog to search.
“We do not put our dogs on people,” he said. “It violates their rights.”
Trammel said drug abusers can get help after jail and often they get better in jail. He said no specific city in the metroplex has more drug abuse than any other.
“Drugs are all over,” Weissman said.
Students received booklets on illegal drugs.
SE Campus will offer two more sessions with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office. A binge drinking seminar is Thursday, March 13, 10-11:20 a.m. in the North Ballroom.
Yolanda Montel, a student on SE Campus, found the seminar interesting and helpful.
“I am going to attend the next two sessions,” she said. “I really did not know much about this stuff.”
To get more information about this seminar, Trammel can be reached at 817-238-4200.
