Mayor Malik D. Evans has announced a community-wide survey aimed at assessing the impact of the opioid epidemic in Rochester. The survey will cover areas such as quality of life, barriers to care, overdose prevention, and family impact. It is available to city residents until February 2025 and is administered by the Rochester Institute of Technology Center for Public Safety Initiatives.
“The growing national opioid epidemic continues to claim lives and devastate neighborhoods here in Rochester,” stated Mayor Evans. “It exacerbates the challenges of violence and poverty in our community and robs our citizens of hope and opportunity.”
The City has formed an Opioid Steering Committee with representatives from Monroe County, public safety departments, city residents, and several community health organizations. This group aims to consolidate local data on issues like opioid deaths and community impact.
Additionally, the City’s Neighborhood Ambassador Program has organized community input sessions with Monroe County across all city quadrants. Two sessions have already been held in the Northeast and Southwest quadrants, with upcoming meetings scheduled for January 14 at Cameron Community Ministries in the Northwest quadrant, and January 21 at Blessed Sacrament Church in the Southeast quadrant.
The findings from both the survey and input sessions will guide efforts to combat the opioid crisis locally. They will also influence how Rochester allocates its share of State opioid settlement funds, expected to reach $3.8 million by 2025.
