Colorado is allocating $11.4M to combat youth vaping crisis

Heather Willard
·3 min read
3

DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado’s Department of Law and Department of Education are allocating $11.4 million in grants to schools across the state for efforts to combat youth vaping, and mental and behavioral health services may be one avenue to aid in the crisis.

The funding stems from a 2023 $31.7 million settlement with e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs, Inc. and Colorado’s Attorney General’s Office. The lawsuit alleged the company targeted young people in marketing and misrepresented the health risks of its products.

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“Colorado has a youth mental health crisis that has fueled a vaping epidemic. These funds will support solutions and preventive measures that will help our children to make informed and better decisions about their health and wellbeing,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser in the announcement.

Weiser said the partnership with the Department of Education “will help ensure that all Colorado schools have the opportunity to access and invest these funds.”

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health’s Healthy Kids Colorado Survey dashboard, in 2021, 49.9% of Colorado high school students said they vape or have vaped. Another 22.3% of those students tried vaping before they were 13 years old.

In Denver County (CDE’s Region 20), 48.1% of high school students said they have used vapor products. But in Region 17, which includes Clear Creek, Gilpin, Park and Teller counties, a staggering 69.8% of high school students said they had tried vaping.

Other regions, like Region 6 (which includes Baca, Bent, Crowley, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero and Prowers counties) are trending the state’s rate down with around 44.9% of high schoolers saying they have tried vaping.

Mental health issues have also seemed to be trending upward. The February Safe2Tell report showed the highest monthly volume of reports ever, and many were reported because students were struggling with mental health issues like suicide or eating disorders.

The program report said school complaints (380), suicide (335) and bullying (322) were the top categories of reports in February.

How funding will be used to address youth vaping

The “Vaping Prevention Education Grant” will increase Colorado schools’ capacity to address vaping through a comprehensive strategy of education, prevention and treatment, which may include mental and behavioral health services. The AG’s Office will dedicate up to $3.8 million in grants annually to local education providers serving K-12 for three consecutive years, starting in the 2024-2025 school year.

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The Vaping Prevention Education Grant will build upon the School Health Professional Grant that CDE offers. The vaping programs will include information on some or all priorities, which are:

  • Address youth vaping through education, prevention or treatment

  • Professional development opportunities for school staff

  • Family and community involvement in healthy lifestyle promotion and choices for students

  • Activities and programming that incorporate youth voices and are culturally responsive

  • Adoption or enhancement of comprehensive vaping and drug prevention policies

    • These include electronic nicotine delivery systems and a move towards student-centered alternatives to suspension

The Colorado Department of Law is also pursuing other avenues to address underage vaping. Earlier this year, the department requested proposals from nonprofit organizations, providing $6 million in funding opportunities for that goal with grant awards to be announced in July 2024.

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