Riverside Overdose Data to Action
The opioid epidemic is one of the largest drug problems recorded in U.S. history. From 2008 to 2017, Riverside experienced a sharp increase in the number and rates of overdose deaths. In response, the Riverside Overdose Data to Action (RODA) program was established in September 2019 and is integrated into Riverside University Health System (RUHS) - Public Health's Epidemiology and Program Evaluation Branch. The purpose of RODA is to enhance surveillance of overdose morbidity and mortality and to use enhanced surveillance data to guide overdose prevention efforts. The cornerstone of RODA is the enhanced overdose surveillance, which is used to advance local insight into overdose incidence in Riverside County and create more responsive and collaborative prevention efforts to address the upstream causes of substance use disorders and overdose.
