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Tag: Substance Abuse

Aurora Council Members Split Over Statewide Fentanyl Felony Proposal
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Aurora Council Members Split Over Statewide Fentanyl Felony Proposal

By Adria Iraheta | Denver7 Initiative 85 would make possession of any amount of fentanyl a felony in Colorado, but Aurora city leaders say increased incarceration isn't the answer. AURORA, Colo. — Aurora's Government Relations Committee approved a resolution this week opposing Colorado's Initiative 85, a statewide ballot initiative which would make possession of any amount of fentanyl — even under one gram — a felony offense. Under current Colorado law, a felony possession charge only applies to amounts over one gram. The resolution opposing the measure now heads to a full vote at the next Aurora City Council meeting. Initiative 85 would also require court-ordered treatment for users and expand habitual criminal classifications for drug possession charg...
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New Study: Colorado’s Mental Health Status Among Nation’s Worst
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

New Study: Colorado’s Mental Health Status Among Nation’s Worst

By Debbie Kelley | The Denver Gazette For two years in a row, Colorado has had nearly the worst rate in the nation of mental illness among children and adults, when compared with other states and the District of Columbia, according to a large-scale industry study. Colorado ranks 50th — or second to last — for the prevalence of any mental health conditions in the 2025 State of Mental Health in America reports, the most recent version being released Wednesday. Vincent Atchity, president and CEO at Denver-based Mental Health Colorado, one of 140 affiliates of Mental Health America, which produces the annual analysis, isn’t surprised. Colorado has hovered near the bottom of the rankings for years in prevalence of mental problems and despite improving its standing to 14th best ...
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Coroner report: Fentanyl-linked deaths surge 41% in Boulder County first half of 2025
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Longmont Leader, Approved, Local

Coroner report: Fentanyl-linked deaths surge 41% in Boulder County first half of 2025

By Steven Middendorp | Longmont Leader Last week, the Office of the Boulder County Coroner released its 2025 biannual drug report for the first half of the year, from January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025. Last week, the Office of the Boulder County Coroner released its 2025 biannual drug report for the first half of the year, from January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025. The coroner’s office certified 171 deaths of the 1,206 deaths that occurred in Boulder County during this time range. Toxicology testing was conducted on 92 of these individuals and 73 were found to have a positive test for at least one drug with the majority having a positive test for multiple drugs. 33 of these deaths were caused by at least one drug according to the coroner’s report, which is 35.8 percent of the deceased ind...
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Colorado sees one of the nation’s largest drops in alcohol use
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Westword, Approved, State

Colorado sees one of the nation’s largest drops in alcohol use

By Thomas Mitchell | Westword Alcohol consumption has been on a steady decline across the country, and Colorado is near the top of that trend, according to a new analysis of data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Don't get it twisted: Substance-abuse counselors in Colorado still have a lot of work. Along with continuing to rank in the top ten for adults who drink, Colorado also outpaces national averages in daily cannabis use, and it has topped the country in cocaine use for two of the last three years. But slow motion is better than no motion. Alcohol Use on the Decline in Colorado Around 54 percent of Americans said they drank alcohol in a recent Gallup poll, the lowest reported number since the survey operation began trac...
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