Colorado School of Public Health News and Stories

A new study from researchers at the University of Colorado has found strong evidence that older adults and women with AFIb, atrial fibrillation, living near oil and natural gas wells may experience a worsening of their condition during development of those sites. The period when a well is being developed is when there's the most activity on the well pad, said Colorado School of Public Health researcher Lisa McKenzie, the study’s senior author, in an interview. “It seems to really be concentrated around that development phase of the well,” she said.

Fewer than 13% of Colorado’s high schoolers last year reported using marijuana at least once in the previous 30 days. That is the lowest percentage since at least 2013 — the year before recreational pot shops opened in Colorado. The percentage of high schoolers who reported ever using marijuana — 26.3% — is 10 percentage points below 2013 levels. The numbers come from the latest edition of the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, an every-other-year snapshot of the physical, mental and behavioral health of Colorado’s youth. The survey is a collaboration between the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health.

Fewer Coloradans died in 2023 than in the previous year, but the state still lost more people than it did before the pandemic. Drug overdoses, COVID-19 and organ damage from alcohol were the biggest culprits behind the still-elevated number of deaths since the pandemic. In contrast, fewer people died last year of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease, after accounting for the state population’s growth and aging since 2019.

At the intersection of art, science, and health, BRDG Project Gallery at 3300 Tejon St. in Denver hosting “Hear/Say”, a groundbreaking art exhibition exploring the effects of high-concentration cannabis. Sponsored by the Colorado School of Public Health, the show is a science-based examination that encourages conversation and open-minded understanding of a controversial subject through the artistic lens of local and national artists. The public is invited to view the exhibition from June 14 through July 14, 2024 during regular BRDG Project gallery hours.