Public Health in the Rockies 2026

Youth substance use remains a critical public health concern, with prior Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) data (2017–2019) in Denver Public Schools (DPS) indicating concerning trends and a clear need for targeted intervention. In response, DPS established an intentional partnership with the Colorado School of Public Health to strengthen the collection, analysis, and application of student health data. This collaboration was designed to ensure that prevention strategies were grounded in reliable data and aligned with identified student needs, advancing a shared goal of improving youth health outcomes.

Through this partnership, HKCS data were collected from middle and high school students and analyzed across multiple years, comparing baseline data from 2017–2019 with more recent data from 2023–2025. Analyses focused on identifying changes in substance use prevalence and patterns over time, as well as examining how data-informed strategies were implemented in response to earlier findings. These strategies included enhanced prevention education, early intervention efforts, and coordinated supports across school communities.

Results indicate a measurable decrease in reported student substance use in the 2023–2025 data compared to earlier years, suggesting positive impacts of targeted, data-driven interventions. These findings highlight the effectiveness of aligning public health and education efforts through intentional collaboration.

This session is highly relevant to public health professionals as it demonstrates how cross-sector partnerships can generate actionable data to inform programming and evaluate outcomes. Attendees will leave with practical approaches for analyzing state public health survey data to guide decision-making, implement effective prevention strategies, and measure impact.