By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff
A newly released report from Advance Colorado lays bare the devastating human cost of Colorado’s fentanyl crisis—and the state policies that helped fuel it.
Titled “Communities in Ruin: The Human Cost of Fentanyl in Colorado,” the report delivers a searing indictment of legislative decisions made over the past six years—starting with a 2019 law that downgraded possession of deadly narcotics like fentanyl to a misdemeanor.
That’s when possession of up to four grams—enough to kill 1,500 people—started being treated like a minor infraction.
Four years later, the state’s fentanyl-related overdose deaths have exploded by 440%, jumping from 222 deaths in 2019 to over 1,200 in 2023.
“Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45,” the report states. “What was once a back-alley drug has become a mass-distributed poison sold on social media and disguised in counterfeit pills. It’s found in suburbs, small towns, schools, and cities. Colorado is ground zero.”
Advance Colorado’s data paints a grim timeline: while overdose rates surged and deaths climbed, state lawmakers delayed serious action.
A 2022 bill aimed to stiffen penalties, but it still allows possession of up to one gram—enough to kill hundreds—with only a misdemeanor charge.
Even worse, dealers caught with 50 grams of fentanyl—enough to wipe out an entire neighborhood—can still receive parole or probation under current law.
Real Stories, Real Pain
The report doesn’t just cite statistics—it tells stories.
It documents dozens of Coloradans killed by fentanyl-laced pills, including children, teens, and college students. In heartbreaking detail, parents recount finding their kids cold in bed after unknowingly taking pills disguised as Xanax or Percocet.
“My son was murdered by poison,” said Katie Potter, mother of 16-year-old Jaydynn, who died after taking half a counterfeit pill at a sleepover.
“Raleigh was my only child,” testified Aidan Ridley, whose son died on Father’s Day. “Had he been arrested that night for possession, he might still be alive today”.
The report also details how Mexican cartels have flooded Colorado with counterfeit fentanyl pills that look like candy—many laced with deadly additives like xylazine or carfentanil.
These drugs are often sold on Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook, and they’re targeting young users.
In 2024 alone, the DEA seized 2.7 million fentanyl pills in Colorado—more than any previous year on record. Half of those pills contained a lethal dose.
Even police officers are at risk. In Pueblo, a sheriff’s deputy was recently hospitalized after brief exposure during a routine arrest.
“This shocking incident demonstrates the dangers our deputies face with exposure to this deadly drug,” said Sheriff David J. Lucero in a July 2024 press release following the incident. “This is quite scary to know that even just slight exposure can have such devastating effects.”
The report offers clear, commonsense solutions:
- Mandatory prison time for fentanyl dealers
- Treatment-mandated felony charges for users, with expungement upon completion
- Earlier education in schools and tighter social media monitoring
- Increased investment in non-profit treatment programs with proven success
Advance Colorado’s Executive Director Michael Fields summed it up bluntly. “Colorado lawmakers played politics with drug laws. And people died. It’s time to stop pretending this isn’t a crisis.”
As the 2026 election season looms, voters will be asking tough questions. Why did it take so long to act? Who stood in the way of stronger laws? And how many more lives will be lost before real change happens?
The report is more than a warning—it’s a call to action.
“Fentanyl doesn’t care about party lines,” the report concludes. “It’s in every community. And if Colorado politicians don’t get serious, more families will be shattered.”
Read the full report hereWatch the companion documentary Devastated: Colorado’s Fentanyl Disaster