BIG SHOT OF TRUTH ON HEROIN

Plano viewers call show disturbing

PLANO - The glare of national publicity shone again on drug abuse in Plano
Tuesday night, and residents who watched MTV's "True Life: Fatal Dose," got
a half-hour of heartache.

"It's very upsetting. It gives me goose bumps," said Steffani Morgan, a
Plano hairdresser who, along with her husband, was riveted to the
fast-paced program.

"A lot of the girls I work with are in high school," she said. "A lot of
their friends are dying."

In the last 18 months at least 12 young people with ties to Plano have died
from heroin overdoses.

Ms. Morgan and her husband watched the 30-minute program at a west Plano
barbecue restaurant along with about a dozen other patrons.

The program was marked by grisly and graphic scenes in which teens were
shown injecting needles into their veins or snorting heroin.

"It's pretty gross," said Rachel Hendrix, 13, who went to the restaurant
with her father to see the program. "Seeing needles and people sticking
them in them is very sickening."

Mike Whitby and his family didn't come to the restaurant to watch TV, but
within a few minutes, they were drawn in.

"It's hard to grasp," said Mr. Whitby, of Highland Village. "I have trouble
understanding it. I really do."

Pastor Carl Zerweck III of Disciples Christian Church, who said he has
families in his congregation who have grappled with the effects of heroin,
said the show left him feeling unsettled.

"The graphics were disturbing," he said. "It was grim and gruesome to see
these kids shooting up. . . . I'm sure there will be people who are upset
that we're once again in the national news, but if our dealing with this
can help save the lives of other young people around the Dallas-Fort Worth
area and the country, then it's worth us being in the news."

Katie Richards, president of the Student Senate at Plano East Senior High
School, said the graphic depictions of drug use were important.

"If you try to baby it, it doesn't seem as bad," said Ms. Richards, an
18-year-old senior.

Although drug experts and grieving parents were featured in the program, it
was the teens' candor about their slow dance with death that many found
shocking.

Dr. Larry L. Alexander was featured prominently in the show. The
emergency-room physician at the Medical Center of Plano tended to five area
youths who died of heroin overdoses. He said he was shocked and troubled by
the youths' attitudes in the program.

"They acted as though it wasn't a problem," he said. "They were not ashamed
about doing it in front of other people. That didn't bother them, and that
scares me. . . . I wasn't expecting to be hit like that."

Dr. Alexander said he thinks the show is likely to dissuade those who have
just begun to experiment with heroin or are considering it.

"There were some things in it that will make some kids stop and think," he said.

Despite all they have already seen and heard on the news and at school, he
said, "This medium . . . may get across to them more than anything else
we've ever done."

The program ended with a number for Narcotics Anonymous that people can
call for help: (818) 773-9999. The Plano Police also have an anonymous
24-hour hotline that people can call to report drug activity: (972)
461-7867.

MTV plans to repeat "Fatal Dose" on Friday at 6 p.m. and on Sunday at 8 p.m.

Staff writers Jennifer Packer and Sandy Louey (slouey@dallasnews.com)
contributed to this report.