Overdose deaths are falling across the U.S., but Colorado is moving the other way again after a brief 2024 reprieve. Preliminary state data shows more than 1,813 people died from overdoses in 2025, up from 1,640 the year before statewide.
Denver’s numbers make the concern feel even closer. Preliminary medical examiner data shows 563 drug-related overdose deaths, nearly 100 more than in 2024 and near the 2023 record of 598, while Lisa Raville warned, “people don’t have to die.”
Denver and Colorado Numbers Move Up Again
Preliminary data from the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner showed 563 drug-related overdose deaths in Denver. That is nearly 100 more than 2024 and just below the city’s 2023 record of 598, making the rebound hard to dismiss.
Raville said March and May each saw 63 drug-related deaths in Denver, the highest monthly totals she has seen. That kind of spike matters because it suggests the problem did not rise slowly, it hit hard in concentrated stretches.
Statewide numbers moved the same direction. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported preliminary data showing more than 1,813 overdose deaths in 2025, up from 1,640 in 2024, even while overdose deaths were dropping nationally across the country.
Harm Reduction Response and Drug Checking Plans
Raville said the grief of losing people to preventable overdoses has been heavy on the front lines. She also pointed to Colorado’s 2022 fentanyl criminalization law, saying fewer people may want to call 911 when someone needs help fast.
In Arapahoe County, a 5-person harm reduction team covers a large area with syringe exchanges and naloxone kiosks. Raquel Isaac said the goal is access, making sure people have what they need regardless of whether they can pay.
Denver’s health department has bought equipment for on-site drug checking, though the rollout has taken time. Raville said machines should be running soon, while DDPHE said staff were hired, partners are involved, and training is still underway.
Naloxone, Policy Debate, and November Vote
At the Harm Reduction Action Center, Raville said staff hand out more than 100 naloxone kits a day. She said the shelves move so fast that she looked at them and knew she needed to place another order immediately again.
The Denver Mayor’s Office said the city will only accept zero overdose deaths, then pointed to Roads to Recovery, day of assistance, naloxone, drug checking, education, resource navigation, and behavioral health support as pieces of its response right now locally.
In November, Coloradans will vote on a fentanyl measure backed by Advance Colorado. The group says it would put low-level users into court-mandated treatment and require jail time for dealers, while Raville argues criminalization has not saved lives before.
Endnote
Debate around Colorado’s overdose response now sits between tougher fentanyl penalties and wider harm reduction access. As mentioned, Raville argues criminalization has not saved lives, while Advance Colorado says court-mandated treatment and jail time for dealers would create stronger statewide consequences.
What comes next is the November vote, Denver’s drug checking rollout, and updated data showing whether deaths keep rising. Naloxone will remain urgent, but Raville’s warning is plain: Colorado cannot rely on one tool while overdoses keep taking preventable lives.