More than five people die from opioid overdoses every day in Arizona, according to the state’s Health Service department.
Since 2021, there has been a roughly 14% decline in fatal overdoses and a 16% decline in non-fatal overdoses.
In Tempe, for nearly a decade, the city has implemented an Opioid Response Plan, which prioritizes community outreach, education and prevention to reduce the rate of opioid misuse.
“We have three areas of our plan: prevention, recovery and resiliency, as well as enforcement. Because we know that we need all three of those areas to really make an impact," Mary Mezey, community health and human service deputy director, said.
Mezey credits the decrease to the response plan.
“Our efforts are working and we want to maintain those efforts and continue to see that number decrease," Mezey said.
The city will use roughly $9 million in national opioid settlement funds over the next 18 years to expand the program.
Mezey said the city is seeking public input to understand how this program can expand and improve via a survey open through April 13.
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