New York senators are calling heroin and opioid addiction an epidemic in the state.
New Yorkers in recovery for heroin addiction, their families, health care providers, and law enforcement gave testimony recently in the Rochester-area about the escalating problem.
Last year, Monroe County saw a 40 percent increase in overdose fatalities linked to opioids.
Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Tim Prosperi says the problem touches people of all backgrounds.
"It's no longer limited to any one group. We see it in men and women. We see it urban, suburban. We see it rich or poor," Prosperi said.
The New York State Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction will have two more meetings this spring in Buffalo and Albany.
