I was shocked to hear that Colorado, the 4/20 friendly state, received reports indicating higher death tolls for opioid use, more than any other illegal substance. Colorado researchers and investigators have become interested in the trend of the opioid crisis growing in the Mile High City. Currently, opioid deaths in Colorado are higher than those killed by car crashes. This is the highest number in Colorado’s history of deaths related to drug poisoning: 956 as of 2017 compared to under 400 in the year 2000. Colorado is only one of many states struggling to keep their numbers low as opioid related deaths increased in 36 states from last year. With an increase in deaths that could have been prevented, we should attempt to focus more attention on our health as a community.
Colorado, being on the healthiest states in the nation, strives to prevent the crisis on a corporate level. Earlier this month, the state declared a case suing Purdue Pharma L.P. (the parent company of the painkiller Oxycontin). Colorado’s Attorney General Cynthia Coffman claims that companies like Purdue Pharma “sought to flood Colorado with prescription opioids.” Coffman aims to receive support to fund for community treatment services for those affected.
DU has become aware of this issue as well as the student body. In Fall 2017, within orientation week one, one freshman student was killed related to drug poisoning. One year later, DU opened their own Collegiate Recovery Center (CRC), pictured above. Each week, the center holds three meetings for affected communities including: Monday All Recovery Meetings for those in all phases of recovery, Wednesday CRC Meetings to make plans for disorders/and or recovery, and Friday’s Breakfast Club with a friendly way to discuss your healthy plans for the weekend. The CRC center is located at 1931 S. York Street in a small white building that can also serve as a place to study and socialize. All services for DU students are free.
It’s a small and necessary start for DU taking initiative in helping and preventing more deaths within our campus as well as the Denver area. As a recent learner of the epidemic myself, we should pay more attention to the prescriptions issued to our peers just as often as we would check our blind spot when merging to a different lane.
