Colorado Survey Finds Teens Less Permissive About Prescription Drug Misuse
A new survey in Colorado indicates that teenagers are becoming less permissive regarding prescription drug misuse, coinciding with a significant rise in awareness about the dangers of fentanyl.
Denver, CO, October 20, 2026 —
A new survey in Colorado indicates that teenagers are becoming less permissive about prescription drug misuse, alongside a significant rise in awareness of fentanyl’s dangers, according to a summary of the survey’s findings.
The summary does not provide the survey’s name, when it was conducted, how many teenagers took part or how the findings were measured. It also does not include percentages or other figures showing the scale of the change. The specific questions used to assess attitudes toward prescription drug misuse and awareness of fentanyl were not provided.
The findings describe two trends occurring at the same time: less permissive attitudes toward prescription drug misuse and increased awareness of fentanyl’s dangers. The available information does not establish that one trend caused the other, or explain what may have contributed to either change.
It is also unclear how the survey defines “less permissive” or “significant rise,” and whether the results refer to a comparison with an earlier survey. No information was provided about differences by age, location within Colorado or other demographic factors. The summary does not identify the organization that conducted the survey or provide comments from researchers, students or public officials.
As a result, the findings offer a limited snapshot of reported attitudes and awareness among Colorado teenagers. More details about the survey’s methods, timing and results would be needed to assess the size and reach of the reported shifts. The information provided does not specify whether the survey measured actual prescription drug misuse, awareness of fentanyl, opinions about these issues, or some combination of those factors.
Story summarized from the original created by Shannon Ogden on www.denver7.com, see more information here.