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Survey finds Colorado teens wary of fentanyl but less concerned about alcohol and vaping
A survey of 700 Colorado teens found a sharp rise in the share who see trying fentanyl as highly risky. At the same time, fewer teens view alcohol, marijuana and vaping as dangerous, while 22% reported vaping in the past month.
Colorado teens are increasingly wary of fentanyl and prescription drug misuse, but their sense of risk around alcohol, marijuana and vaping is weakening, according to a statewide survey released in 2026.
The biennial Rise Above Colorado survey questioned 700 young people ages 12 to 17 online earlier this year. It found that 77% see great risk in trying fentanyl once or twice, up from 51% in 2024.
Misconceptions about prescription drugs also declined. The share of teens who said prescription drugs are safer than illegal drugs fell from 27% to 16% over two years. The share who believed prescription pain relievers are not addictive dropped from 25% to 8%. Among teens who had not misused pain relievers, curiosity about trying them fell from 35% to 17%.
The survey also found that 91% of respondents would be at least somewhat likely to stop a friend from taking a drug or pill that might contain fentanyl; 72% said they would be very likely to intervene.
“There was not interest in trying” substances among young people who had not used them, said Kent MacLennan, Rise Above Colorado’s executive director. He said more teens also reported feeling confident that they could refuse substances offered by peers. Nine in 10 said they had some confidence in refusing a vape.
Colorado has directed substantial resources toward drug prevention and overdose response, including hundreds of millions of dollars from settlements with opioid manufacturers. Attorney General Phil Weiser, whose office oversees distribution of the funds, said the survey’s results show the value of prevention and accurate information. He said similar attention is needed for alcohol, marijuana and nicotine.
The survey points to a gap in that effort. The share of teens who considered alcohol use a great risk fell from 25% in 2024 to 15% in 2026, and perceived risks also declined significantly for marijuana and vaping. Meanwhile, 22% said they had vaped in the past 30 days—above the 2022 level and more than twice the 9% recorded in 2020.
Students described vaping as common among their peers. A 13-year-old girl from Denver County told the survey that nearly everyone at her middle school vaped and that she was among the few who did not. A 14-year-old Denver girl said it felt as though “everyone has it,” particularly in middle school.
MacLennan said most young people still do not use substances, but some turn to them to cope with stress from family, school and their surroundings. The survey also found that only 20% of teens strongly agreed their schoolwork was meaningful, down from 40% in 2024, and that more teens were struggling with insufficient sleep.