Colorado § 18-18.5-101 - Legislative declaration.

§ 18-18.5-101. Legislative declaration.

(1) The general assembly finds that:

(a) Each year Colorado spends significant amounts of money related to untreated substance abuse. The magnitude of public funds spent on the direct and indirect consequences of substance use and abuse is staggering, and dozens of Colorado public agencies play a part in controlling substance use or dealing with its consequences.

(b) Deaths in Colorado related to the abuse of prescription opioids, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl, nearly doubled from one hundred eighty in 2000 to three hundred forty-three in 2010;

(c) Children whose parents abuse alcohol or drugs are three times more likely to be verbally, physically, or sexually abused and four times more likely than other children to be neglected. Additionally, research indicates that children in families affected by substance use are at an increased risk for substance use and mental health issues in adolescence. The health, safety, and future success of drug-endangered children are pressing issues in Colorado.

(d) Substance use by youth is detrimental to brain maturation, impacting brain structure, functioning, and neurocognition;

(e) Substance use during pregnancy places children at direct risk for complications, including premature delivery, altered neonatal behavior patterns such as abnormal reflexes and extreme irritability, congenital deformities, low birth weight, attention deficit disorder, and prenatal and postnatal neglect, many of which cause lifelong defects; and

(f) Each year Colorado spends significant moneys related to untreated substance abuse.

(2) The general assembly further finds that substance abuse, including that related to illicit drugs, prescription drugs, underage marijuana use, and methamphetamine labs and abuse, harms citizens of Colorado. Responses to substance abuse should be supported in the criminal justice system, the public health system, mental health services, social services, child welfare and youth services, community task forces, and with treatment for parents who abuse drugs and prevention and treatment for children affected by substance abuse and nonfederally regulated pharmaceutical drug production and distribution, and other systems affected by substance abuse.

(3) The general assembly, therefore, determines and declares that it is necessary to change the state methamphetamine task force into a substance abuse trend and response task force to:

(a) Examine drug trends and the most effective models and practices for:

(I) The prevention of and intervention into substance abuse;

(II) The prevention of unintended harmful exposures due to nonfederal-drug-administration-regulated pharmaceutical drug production and distribution;

(III) The prevention of potential negative public health impacts due to improper dispensing, management, and disposal of drugs; and

(IV) The treatment of children and adults affected by substance use disorders;

(b) Formulate a response to current and emerging substance use disorder problems from the criminal justice, prevention, and treatment sectors, including the use of drop-off treatment services, mobile and walk-in crisis centers, and withdrawal management programs, rather than continued criminal justice involvement for offenders of low-level drug offenses; and

(c) Make recommendations to the general assembly for the development of statewide strategies and legislative proposals related to these issues. The recommendations made to the general assembly shall be made in coordination with the task force and the department of human services, the agency responsible for the administration of behavioral health programs and services.

Source: L. 2006: Entire article added, p. 1699, § 2, effective July 1. L. 2013: Entire section R&RE, (SB 13-244), ch. 295, p. 1575, § 1, effective August 7. L. 2017: (3)(a)(IV) amended, (SB 17-242), ch. 263, p. 1308, § 146, effective May 25. L. 2019: (3)(b) amended, (SB 19-008), ch. 275, p. 2594, § 3, effective August 2.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 17-242, see section 1 of chapter 263, Session Laws of Colorado 2017.