The Forestdale School was home to the first of a series of forums targeting seventh- and eighth-graders on the dangers and repercussions of using drugs, especially OxyContin. "We're counting on you guys as young community leaders to take this education and tell your friends, your parents, your brothers and sisters," said Ward 7 Councilor Chris Simonelli, who heads the city's Drug Task Force. "There's no leeway with this drug. We're losing a lot of young people like yourself because of it." [continues 533 words]
For the past year, Malden District Court has been home to a unique "drug court" which gives drug addicts a second chance at turning their lives around - if they're up for the challenge. Soon after being appointed as presiding judge at Malden District Court in 2002, Judge Lee Johnson noticed a concerning pattern - growing drug use by teenagers, especially that of OxyContin and heroin, who had no criminal past before becoming involved in drugs. Johnson's concerns and those of the court house staff were further confounded by the overdose deaths of a few teenage girls around that same time. [continues 1209 words]
Last week a Sergeant assigned to the Malden Police Narcotics Division allowed the Malden Observer to ride along undercover for a few hours to get a better idea of what the job entails and what goes into combating drug crimes in the city. Due to the officer's undercover responsibilities, his real name is not being disclosed in the story. The department's narcotics division is comprised of five plain clothes officer. "We're part of a comprehensive approach to improving the quality of life in the city," the sergeant said. "The patrol division plays a major role in addressing the drug problems in the city. They're out there every day encountering people and responding to incidents. The information they relay to us is very valuable." [continues 640 words]
The Malden Observer would like to recognize four groups or organizations that had a positive affect on the city in 2004 and will continue to into the future. Drug Task Force The Malden Drug Task Force has one main priority - protecting Malden's youth from the dangers of drugs, namely OxyContin. The powerful narcotic prescribed by doctors to relieve severe, chronic pain, OxyContin is in the same class of drugs as heroin and morphine and can be highly addictive. Surprisingly maybe to some it's become the number one selling street drug in Malden. [continues 1153 words]
