Last updated : May 19, 2025
Last year, the number of fatal overdoses in Colorado was the highest in the history of the state. The statistics surrounding drug overdoses in Colorado are a reflection of the broader opioid crisis that the United States is experiencing.
The number of deaths from meth overdose increased significantly. While the number of deaths from opioid painkiller overdoses had been on a downturn for the past few years, this positive trend took a turn for the worse last year. The number of deaths from cocaine and heroin overdoses are also much higher in Colorado than they were a few years ago. According to various reports, more people died from drug overdoses in the state of Colorado than in car crashes.
According to the director of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Prevention, the issue with drug addiction is only getting the worse. He expects that it can take five to 10 years to work towards a resolution to the drug issue in Colorado. As the state of Colorado attempts to crack down on the prevalence of opioids, the nature of the overdose epidemic continues to change in rapid and unexpected ways. This makes it difficult for policy-makers to target factors influencing the proliferation of illicit drugs in effective ways.
At least 959 people died in the state of Colorado from drug poisoning last year. This includes both accidental and intentional overdoses. In 2016, about 912 people died. In comparison, fewer than 400 people died from drug poisoning in 2000.
In the state of Colorado, there were 16.7 drug overdose deaths for every 100,000 people in 2017, which is the highest drug overdose death rate the state has seen in more than 20 years. This number has been adjusted for age and population growth. El Paso County and the Denver metro area saw the highest number of deaths. Cities and counties in southern Colorado also had high levels of drug overdose deaths.
In terms of drug overdose deaths, opioid painkillers continue to be Colorado’s largest problem. In 2017, opioid painkillers were involved in 357 drug overdose deaths, which is a record high for the state of Colorado. According to experts, the two years of falling drug overdose deaths were a matter of chance rather than a legitimate trend. Some experts also suspect that the real death toll may have been higher both years because dozens of deaths are listed as being from drugs that are unspecified. A research study estimated that the drug overdose death rate from opioid painkillers in 2014 would have been 25 percent higher if every drug involved in these deaths was identified.
Unfortunately, the state of Colorado is dealing with more than just opioid painkillers. According to the new Colorado Health Institute report, there has been a rise in the number of cocaine deaths in the past few years. In 2016, 60 people died from overdosing on cocaine. This figure rose to 101 and 93 in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The number of overdose deaths from methamphetamine rose significantly. 139 died from meth overdose in 2015, 196 died in 2016, and at least 280 died in 2017. Heroin deaths also increased substantially. 160 died from heroin overdose in 2015, 228 died in 2016, and 213 died in 2017.
Some experts believe that the number of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine overdoses increased due to a crackdown on opioid proliferation. Doctors’ offices and hospitals have begun to limit their prescription of opioids. As a result, individuals addicted to opioids may be turning to black market drugs.
While Colorado is arguably experiencing the worst drug crisis in the country, these trends are not unique to Colorado. According to the CDC, the number of deaths from drug overdoses increased in 36 states as well as the District of Columbia from July 1, 2017 to July 1, 2018. To experts, this is an indication that the United States has a lot of work to do to get this drug epidemic under control.
Opioid death is often the conclusion to an addiction developed over years or even decades. Usually, this addiction starts with a prescription from a doctor. Therefore, the first step to tackling the opioid overdose epidemic is cutting down on prescriptions. Fewer prescriptions will prevent more people from developing addictions to opioids and it will also limit the number of leftover opioids in communities. More and more employers are drug testing employees to deter them from using drugs. While Colorado hospitals have reduced the number of opioids they prescribe and drug testing of employees is on the rise, there is a still a long way to go before the drug epidemic will be under control.
