UPDATED: Sept. 28, 2017 at 4:16 a.m.

The Syracuse mayoral candidates discussed public health issues affecting the city at a public forum in downtown Syracuse on Wednesday night.

At the forum, hosted by Upstate University Hospital and Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner’s End the Epidemic Task Force, the mayoral candidates laid out their plans to tackle HIV/AIDS, lead poisoning and the opioid epidemic.

The four remaining candidates — Juanita Perez Williams, Howie Hawkins, Laura Lavine and Ben Walsh — generally agreed with one another on how to handle the three issues.

Prior to the mayoral forum, experts from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University’s Upstate University Hospital gave brief speeches about Syracuse public health problems and took questions from the audience. About 60 people attended the event, which was held at City Hall Commons.

Here’s how the candidates said they would tackle health issues:

Opioids and drugs

The four candidates agreed the city needed to improve its handling of the opioid epidemic.

Perez Williams, the Democratic Party candidate, said as mayor she would launch a public service announcement campaign to destigmatize the use of opioids and encourage addicts to seek help.

Perez Williams said the public service announcements would tell the stories of how people got addicted to the drugs and how they need to be taken care of.

She said opioid addiction was a mental illness and that the city needed to combat the problem with positive messages.

Lavine, who is running as a Republican, said families need to know about the dangers of drugs. Public education and safety campaigns could help parents learn what teens could be doing with drugs and medication.

She, like the other candidates, said addiction to drugs was a medical problem that needed to be destigmatized.

Hawkins, the Green Party candidate, said the medical community is doing the best it can with the resources it has. The next mayor should combat “social determinants” such as homelessness, joblessness and poverty that he said lead to drug use.

Walsh, an independent, said parents and children need to be educated about modern-day drug use. Walsh also said he would look at what other communities are doing to combat opioid and drug problems in their cities.

All four candidates said they would consider supporting supervised injection facilities where heroin addicts could use the drugs under the supervision of medical professionals.

Lead

Walsh said he would continue to be an advocate for the Greater Syracuse Land Bank, a nonprofit organization that helps return vacant properties to use. He said he would work with local banks and lenders to incentivize property owners to repair their homes.

Walsh also said he would continue to seek United States Department of Housing and Urban Development grants to support initiatives such as the Syracuse Lead Hazard Control Program, which was denied federal funds and eventually shuttered in 2016.

Lavine said she would continue to seek funding for lead-abatement programs and cooperate with the county to help reduce lead risks in Syracuse homes. She also said she would support a tax incentive for homeowners to repair lead problems on their own.

Perez Williams said she would “beef up” code enforcement. She said she would try to increase home inspections to test lead levels in Syracuse houses.

Hawkins said he would support a city ordinance preventing landlords from renting apartments until they’re certified as “lead safe.” He said he thinks landlords would then make private investments in their buildings.

HIV

Perez Williams said she would continue the mayor’s task force on ending the HIV epidemic. She also said public forums need to be held to talk about strategies to combat the virus.

Walsh agreed continuing the mayor’s task force would be essential to combatting the HIV epidemic. He said community leaders had an opportunity and responsibility to end the stigma surrounding the virus and to normalize the issue so people seek help.

Lavine said HIV is a public health issue that requires treatment. She said she would make sure people are encouraged to get treatment at health centers.

Hawkins also said he supported the mayor’s task force.

The story has been updated with appropriate style.

Published on September 27, 2017 at 11:45 pm

Contact Jordan: jmulle01@syr.edu | @jordanmuller18