About DOSA:

The Dedham Organization for Substance Awareness is committed to building a healthy, safe, and drug-free community where individuals of all ages can thrive. Since its founding, the coalition has supported Dedham residents through prevention, education; as well as providing resources to intervention, treatment, and recovery.

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87%

of Dedham High Schoolers
did not vape in the last month.

86%

of Dedham High Schoolers
have never used marijuana.

90%

of Dedham High Schoolers
have never ridden in a car
with someone who had been drinking.

77%

of Dedham High Schoolers
have a trusted adult at school.

Data above comes from the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey, administered biennially to Dedham Public School students in grades six through twelve (2025).

#MyWhy: Sharing Our Voices 2024

In the spring of 2024, Over 120 high school students from Dedham, Needham, Walpole, and Westwood shared their “why,” or their motivation for choosing to stay healthy and substance-free in a project, titled “#MyWhy: Sharing our Voices,” through the MassCALL3 regional youth substance use prevention grant.

The project is based on #MyWhyNDAFW from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and asks student participants to think about the question “What motivates you to stay healthy and substance-free?” and to write their responses on a handout provided by MassCALL3 Prevention Partners staff.

Dedham High School students’ responses were compiled into this video that serves as an uplifting reminder of some of the unique reasons our students have for choosing to navigate away from high-risk behaviors.