Heroin use has soared across the country in recent years, and new figures show evidence of the epidemic in smaller communities outside of Rochester.
In Ontario County, a recent survey of more than 2,000 teens and young adults showed that 3 percent used heroin within the last 30 days.
On Tuesday night, a community forum is planned at Finger Lakes Community College with a panel including law enforcement, treatment experts and parents.
Petrea Rae, coalition coordinator with the Partnership for Ontario County, encourages anyone who touches a young person's life to have an honest conversation with them about the risks of drug use.
"If you know your son or daughter had a sports injury, have a conversation before they start taking those pain relievers about, 'Do you want to do this, or do you want to try Tylenol first to see if that relieves the pain?' "
Rae says her organization will partner with the Ontario County Sheriff's Office this summer to help residents safely dispose of their unused prescription opioids and other medications.
The aim is to remove the temptation for both the prescription holder and others. "If you have a left over prescription and you come back to it, you might continue that use and it might turn into something like heroin use," Rae said. “The other concern is, if your kids have friends over or someone comes to visit and you have an opioid prescription in your medicine cabinet that's not secure, someone could easily skim off the top of that, and you might not ever know, especially if it's an old prescription you're not using."
Rae said there are plans to hold several events over the summer with mobile prescription drug take-back units and to establish several more permanent take-back locations throughout Ontario County.
Tonight's community forum starts at 7 at Finger Lakes Community College.
