DENVER (KDVR) — Overdose deaths jumped 27% in 2021 from the year before in Colorado, with 1,881 people dying from drug overdoses in the state.
That evens out to roughly one overdose death every 4 hours and 45 minutes in the Centennial State.
So far in 2022, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has recorded 457 total drug overdose deaths across the state, although that data comes with caveats. There is roughly a 3 to 4-month lag in processing the data, and in some cases, the circumstances surrounding the death complicate things further, according to CDPHE.
According to the state’s drug overdose dashboard, these deaths are mainly concentrated in major Colorado counties along the Front Range, with Denver and El Paso Counties leading the way in total drug overdose deaths, followed by Denver Metro Counties like Adams, Arapahoe and Jefferson.
On International Overdose Awareness Day, stakeholders and treatment advocates are sharing resources to help people struggling with addiction. Speakers from Denver Health’s Center for Addiction Medicine and people with addiction experience hosted an event at Denver Health Tuesday to spread awareness.
Narcan and fentanyl testing strips will be provided to people at the event along with demonstrations on how to use both.
You can watch speakers from the event on FOX31 NOW in the player above.