Southeastern Colorado counties awarded nearly a million dollars to combat opioid crisis
Mackenzie Stafford
SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO (KRDO) – Drug overdose deaths have steadily increased in Pueblo County over the past few years, and while this data only goes up to 2022, KRDO13 spoke with southeastern Colorado officials who say they’re now seeing more polydrug use than ever, which is when people are taking multiple drugs.
But they say they’re also preventing more deaths with educational and prevention programs.
In a press conference on Thursday, officials from numerous southeastern Colorado communities gathered to speak about how these programs have changed lives.
They point to rehabilitation centers and proactive education that they say are helping southeastern counties in a time when it’s needed most.
“Las Animas County holds the highest overdose death rates in the state, with 61.7 per 100,000 residents, and Huerfano County is not far behind. These figures are not just state statistics. They represent real people,” said Kim Gonzales, Executive Director of Las Animas County and Huerfano County Health.
They say people are benefiting from the $4 million sent to the region in the past three years, and the additional million now coming from the state opioid abatement council.
“We are also excited to announce that the statewide Colorado Opioid Abatement Council has awarded [the Southeast Colorado Opioid Region 19] SECOR $500,000 for the Fort Lion Infrastructure and Resiliency Project and 495,000 for the Lamar Facility Extension. This was a competitive grant process, and we are honored to have received the funding on behalf of our partners in the region,” shared Rob Oquist, Otero County Commissioner.
Some of the programs that have been implemented that the group says have been successful are stigma reduction, distributing naloxone (better known as Narcan) to help reverse overdoses, and disbursing testing kits.
Another program targeting youth education is the Southern Colorado Youth Go (SoCoYoGo) App for teens in Pueblo. SoCoYoGo aims to encourage healthy behaviors and reward teens for avoiding the use of drugs by participating in other social activities.
To learn more about SECOR or to find resources if you’re struggling with substance use disorder, click here.
The Colorado Behavioral Health Administration did not have more recent overdose data readily available; however, they provided resources to the number of people who received substance use disorder care under a BHA-funded or overseen program.