Report Ties Colorado’s Fentanyl Death Surge To Weaker Drug Laws

By Jacob Mauk | Colorado Politics

Overdose deaths from opioids rose in Colorado, diverging from the national trend, which has been decreasing, according to a new study from a think tank.

In its new report, the Common Sense Institute said synthetic opioid overdose deaths in Colorado have grown by 17% since November 2024, the third-fastest growth rate in the country. The only states with higher spike rates are Arizona and New Mexico, according to the report.

If Colorado had followed the national trend, some 1,600 lives could have been saved, the study said, adding the opioid deaths represented a cost of roughly $18.3 billion.

“While this number does not encompass the entire value of human life, it does indicate that lives lost due to fentanyl and other opioids reduce the economic potential of the state,” the study said.

Synthetic opioid overdose deaths had been increasing in Colorado in 2018 through November 2023, mirroring the national trend and peaking at 1,213 that year, the report said.

After the peak, deaths in Colorado dipped, just as the country’s trend also decreased.

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