Contact Tracing Update

El Paso County Public Health is currently experiencing a high volume of cases and may not be able to complete contact tracing for all positive COVID-19 cases.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you may be contacted for a phone interview or receive a text message to complete an online survey. Individuals who are infectious with COVID-19 are required to isolate. El Paso County Public Health recommends that they reach out to their close contacts.

                                                                                                 You can find more information about next steps here.

Opioid Education and Prevention

What are opioids?

  • Opioids are a type of drug used to reduce pain 
  • Opioids include:
    • Medications that are derived from opioids such as codeine and morphine 
    • Synthetic medications such as fentanyl, suboxone, oxycodone, and methadone
    • Heroin, an illicit (illegally-made) opioid synthesized from morphine

What is the crisis?

  • Opioid abuse is a worldwide issue. The United States is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic.
    • In 2016 there were more than 42,000 deaths related to opioids and 40% of those involved a prescription opioid
    • In 2016, overdose deaths were the number one reason for death in ages 51 and younger in the U.S., overtaking motor vehicle accidents.
      • To put this another way, 91 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose. This is quadrupled from 1999 and continues to rise. 
  • Almost 18 out of every 100 Americans have misused prescription medications (opioids) or used opioids in an illicit form. 
  • This is a community and public health issue that we all have the opportunity to impact. 

What is El Paso County Public Health doing about the crisis?

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