New director Tyson hopes to TKO city drug program

Marzella Tyson wants to win the war on drugs. And as the new director of the city's anti-drug program Fighting Back, she's going to be in a position to do it.

Tyson has proven that she can get things done. During her tenure as director of the city's Health Department's Pediatric Immunization Project, New Haven's pediatric immunization rate rose from 50 to 90 percent. She said that she was attracted to the Fighting Back intiative because it is "putting forth strong efforts for people who are using [drugs] in New Haven." Fighting Back consists of four programs, all geared towards aiding victims of substance abuse, their families, and their communities.

Tyson hopes to invigorate the program and attack the root of New Haven's major drug problem. Studies on both the national and state level estimate that between 7,000 and 11,000 New Haven residents suffer from drug or alcohol addiction. The high numbers represent nearly 10 percent of the city's total population.

One of the most important focuses of Fighting Back, Tyson asserted, is "continuity of care and help with job readiness and employment" for victims of drug abuse. From this concentration comes a pilot project of family intervention currently being studied by Yale epidemiology professor Denise Stevens. This project includes a program, called Families FIRST, intended to increase the availability of treatment and job training to residents of city public housing.

Tyson has also focused her efforts on a faith initiative, which recruits churches in New Haven to help recovering addicts so they will be able to address the spiritual side of their substance abuse recovery. The participating churches volunteer with a number of activities, such as helping with after-care programs

Tyson attributed the success of several recent raids of drug houses to the fact that the New Haven Police Department (NHPD) "is more technologically advanced than ever and is constantly identifying and developing interventions." Tyson, who is grateful for her partnership with the NHPD, said, "I give a lot of respect for Hew Haven police officers. They're working very closely with Fighting Back."

Tyson expressed the greatest concern over the fact that most arrests made during raids involved youths. She explained that to give proper attention to the problem of juvenile drug abuse, Fighting Back must answer two questions: "How do we address the problem of drug abuse and how do you take young people back from the street?" Tyson offered her solution, "You get them back into the community."

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