DRUGS IN DEDHAM: Town organizations getting involved

Editors Note: This is the final article in a three-part series on drug addiction in Dedham. Other articles in this series have tackled the police response and personal stories.

It has been almost 25 years, but not a day goes by when Carmen DelloIacono fails to remember how he lost his best friend.

A heroin overdose.

A lifelong Dedham resident and now chairman of the Dedham selectmen, DelloIacono is hoping to set the community on a path to finally deal with the drug issue. Hes not the only one.

Dedham Police and local family members of drug users have been steady combatants in fighting the drug problem locally, but now the town government and some town organizations are joining the effort.

The fact that drugs are in Dedham is a blow to DelloIacono, he said. He had no suspicion that his friend, who was 23 and who lived in Dedham when he died, had been using drugs.

Back then, it was movie stars being drugged; you never heard of somebody local with heroin, DelloIacono said.

DelloIacono said he stopped drinking after his friend died and he has always given people rides home on New Years so they dont have to get behind the wheel after drinking.

Helping people on an individual level is one thing, but what DelloIacono and the rest of the towns leaders hope to do is to make drug abuse prevention systematic in the town.

Visit link:
DRUGS IN DEDHAM: Town organizations getting involved