As the opioid epidemic ravages the U.S., Colorado lawmakers are debating new solutions to reduce overdoses. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates in their most recent data that about 70 % of the 100,000+ overdose deaths in 2021 were fentanyl-related.
Here in Colorado, the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment reports there was a 70% increase in fentanyl-related deaths from 2020-2021 and over 900 fentanyl-related deaths in 2021.
In Denver, Colorado, the opioid and fentanyl epidemic continues to rear its ugly head, as it contributes to the city’s growing homeless population and high crime rates. According to the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment, fentanyl-related overdose deaths increased by 308% in Denver city and county from 2019-2021.
With deaths increasing and drugs proliferating, Colorado lawmakers look to national and global opioid solutions. On Feb. 15, HB 23-1202 was introduced in the Colorado House of Representatives by State Representatives Elisabeth Epps and Jenny Willford and State Senators Kevin Priola and Julie Gonzales.
This bill would allow local Colorado governments to choose whether to permit overdose prevention centers in their jurisdictions. These centers would primarily allow active users to inject illegal drugs in the presence of medical supervision in an effort to reduce fatal overdoses.
In Denver, attempts to introduce overdose prevention centers, otherwise known as safe and legal injection sites, have been ongoing since 2018. In a 12-1 vote, the Denver City Council approved a pilot program for overdose prevention centers; however, the program never began. The United States attorney’s office for Colorado struck it down, claiming it was “illegal under federal law,” halting the possibility of legal injections in Denver.
Now with the proposed HB23-1202 under consideration in the Colorado House of Representatives, Denver advocates of overdose prevention centers are hopeful they will be able to safely serve their communities and save lives.
“The focus of HB23-1202 is local control and empowering local communities on the front lines of the overdose crisis to implement what has been proven to work,” says Lisa Raville, the executive director of the Denver Harm Reduction Advocacy Center.
Currently, the center serves on the front lines of Denver’s opioid epidemic by providing life-saving services to those in active addiction. Their services range from educational classes and programs, clean needles and pipes for people who inject drugs and picking up discarded needles to clean up Denver. What they cannot do, yet, is actually allow users to inject drugs on-site.
“Right now we can do everything to prevent and eliminate the transmission of HIV/HCV, [through] resources, referrals, providing Naloxone or Narcan, fentanyl testing strips, but it’s not currently legal for them to inject and smoke on our property,” Raville says. “It [HB23-1202] is a win-win.”
Despite the center’s “win-win” attitude towards overdose prevention centers, not all Denverites are so optimistic about legal and safe injections. The non-partisan group Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver are skeptical that the current harm reduction centers and proposed overdose prevention centers improve Denver overall.
Although we were unable to receive a comment on HB23-1202 by the time of publication, Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver refer to harm reduction centers as “harm induction” centers on their website, implying that they create more opportunities for addiction and crime.
“Meet folks where they are, but don’t leave them there,” says the Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver’s website regarding harm reduction policies.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has also voiced concerns regarding HB23-1202 and its implications for Colorado. According to the Denver Post, a spokesperson for Governor Polis said while he had not yet viewed the bill, he “would be deeply concerned with any approach that would contribute to more drug use and lawlessness.”
Many skeptics of overdose prevention centers cite concerns of increased drug usage and growing crime rates as Governor Polis did; however, data does not directly support these concerns. A medical report by the American Academy of Family Physicians states evidence from overdose prevention centers based primarily in Australia, across Europe and Canada does not link increased crime to the centers’ operations.
In some cases, evidence even supports a decrease in criminal activity near the centers because they reduce public nuisance crimes like littered needles and drug injections in places like bathrooms, parks and alleys.
For many Coloradans, the possibility of overdose prevention centers is extremely personal. Behind every overdose, every lost life, there is often a community of family and friends mourning a loved one.
“Everyone would benefit from safe injection sites: addicts, the family of addicts and our community,” says Simon Bigay, a 21-year-old student and drug safety non-profit founder. “They would lower the number of drug-related deaths, addiction-related deaths and potentially keep streets cleaner.”
Bigay, a senior at the University of Denver, understands the personal impact of the opioid epidemic. In 2020, Bigay lost a beloved fraternity brother to a benzodiazepine, commonly known as “downers” or “benzos,” that was laced with fentanyl.
This tragedy spurred Bigay to start a local nonprofit “Strips 4 Safety” which provides the Denver area, primarily Generation Z, with pre-ordered overdose prevention kits that include Narcan, fentanyl testing strips, and a plethora of other life-saving resources.
In 2023, anyone from a coworker to a child can fall victim to the opioid epidemic. A recent CDC statistic shows that the median monthly overdose deaths among persons aged 10 to 19 years old (adolescents) increased 109% from late July–Dec. 2019 to late July–Dec. 2021.
As state lawmakers reel with decisions on how to fight the Colorado opioid epidemic, and whether to allow overdose prevention centers, the opioid epidemic rages on. For advocates of Denver overdose prevention centers, this is a glimmer of hope and success amidst an enduring battle for life.
