Leading Together: Collective Action for Colorado’s Resilience and Well-Being (Jan. 27, 2026)

Winter Symposium on Addictive Disorders, Behavioral Health, and Mental Health – Remarks by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser

I. Welcome, Acknowledgement, and Our Plan Today

Good morning, it is an honor to be with this group today. Thank you to Sarah Forrest for this opportunity to join this inspiring group and powerful program.

I want to express my sincere and profound thanks to each of you for the essential and dedicated work you do for Colorado communities – to prevent overdoses, expand access to care, and walk with people in recovery. You are the backbone of Colorado’s behavioral health system.

Today, I want to talk about how we lead together and build resilient momentum in a chaotic and uncertain environment.

First, I will acknowledge and address some of the uncertainty and disruptions threatening our work on addiction, behavioral health, and mental health. And I will share how my department is working to defend against illegal attacks by the federal government.

Then, I’ll discuss my department’s work on Colorado’s opioid response—how settlement funds are distributed, as well as progress we’ve achieved and opportunities ahead.

After that, we’ll shift upstream and talk about youth mental health to explore: How do we build systems that support kids and families, reduce and prevent against harms from social media and substance use, and strengthen protective factors in schools and communities.

And next, we’ll move into a fireside chat. My friend Amber Ptak will lead a discussion about actionable tools and strategies to strengthen collective action. Amber is a strategist, convener, and changemaker, leading bold work to transform how communities come together to improve health, equity, and belonging. I’m excited to dig into this work with her today.

Finally, we want to dedicate a significant amount of the morning to a dialogue, and we will leave the final third of the session for audience questions and testimonials. I look forward to your thoughts, questions, and ideas.

Across each of these sections, I will work to underscore the guiding principle that our impact is strengthened by collective action. Resilience is not just a slogan or buzzword – it’s what happens when we work together across systems to build supports that guard against systemic risk.

II. Building Resilience in Uncertain Times

I want to begin by acknowledging our current reality, that our behavioral health system and so many lifesaving programs and services are under attack by reckless, haphazard, and illegal attacks by the Trump Administration.

We are still reeling from the abrupt and devastating notice two weeks ago that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) was terminating grants supporting critical mental health and substance use disorder services. I would have thought, for any administration, that this sort of destructive action would be unthinkable. Alas, like other attacks on critical programs, we are on edge about what could happen next. Even as the administration reversed this cruel and reckless course of action and reinstated the funding, we are all feeling even more vulnerable than before.

For our department, addressing the rise of illegal and harmful actions by the federal government is now part of our daily work. A key part of that work is listening – to communities as well as providers about the impact threatened cuts would have on critical services. My promise to you is that we will remain vigilant in protecting and helping ensure that critical funding and services remain intact, acting whenever necessary to protect Coloradans against harmful federal actions. That means that we will continue to challenge these attempts by the federal administration to abruptly pull back on congressionally authorized funds and programs that provide essential services to Coloradans. And I am glad to report that, in such actions, we have prevailed again and again, successfully fending off attempted funding cuts in court.

To illustrate what I mean by that, I want to take just a few moments to share some of my department’s work from the past year. To put a number on it, since the second Trump administration took office, Colorado has filed 51 lawsuits against the federal government, challenging unlawful actions that are harming Coloradans. I often receive questions about our rationale for bringing or joining them and whether they are worth the return on our state’s investment of time and resources.

Regardless of who is in the White House, my criteria for determining whether to join a lawsuit against the federal government is two-fold: (1) is the law being broken? and (2) are Coloradans being harmed by a violation of the law?

This principle is based on my duty as Colorado Attorney General to defend the rule of law and protect Coloradans. It means that I will continue to bring actions against anyone who harms the State or our citizens, whether it’s the federal government, other states, or private parties.

When it comes to standing up against illegal federal funding for Colorado, we have already protected close to a billion dollars in cuts attempted by the Trump administration.[1] Take, for example, the case that we led with other states to block an attempt by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy to abruptly terminate $11 billion in public health grants to states, including $229 million for in grant funding for critical Colorado public health programs.[3] Thanks to our litigation, those funds were secured and available to Colorado programs related to immunization and prevention, treatments for infectious diseases, fighting substance abuse, and more.

There are many more examples, but let me highlight three that were particularly baffling and harmful to the health and wellbeing of our state. First, the Trump administration sought to dismantle AmeriCorps and prevent Colorado from accessing the eight to ten million dollars dedicated to our state for this important program. I went to court and secured the funding.[4] 

Second, when the Trump Department of Education attempted to illegally discontinue $1 billion in congressionally approved grant funding for youth mental health, we protected the nearly $10 million at risk in Colorado for youth mental health funding for schools, universities, and the Colorado Department of Education.[5]

Third, when the Trump administration’s Department of Agriculture refused to use congressionally mandated funds to avoid a hunger emergency on account of a lack of access to SNAP food benefits, we secured a court order requiring that such funds be used before the shutdown ended and the funds were required to be spent.[6] And, once again, Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins is threatening to cut SNAP food benefits to Colorado as part of a campaign to punish our state and we are back in court against her.

Of course, the illegal attacks do not stop at congressionally appropriated funding. We are enduring a wide variety of attacks on our fundamental rights ranging from violations of due process, First Amendment protections, and attacks on birthright citizenship.

I share these examples with you to acknowledge that this work continues and we will remain vigilant. As threats and confusion persist, I assure you that I will fight for your work and I have your back.

III. Colorado’s Opioid Response

Since first running for office in 2017, a top priority of mine has been how to lead a statewide opioid response effort that supports the critical work provided by the very leaders in this room.

Whether you’re coming from the Pikes Peak region, a rural county, tribal nation, law enforcement office, public health department, treatment program, or recovery community — you are an essential part of Colorado’s collective response to this public health crisis. I want to share briefly about the work I’ve been proud to oversee as attorney general.

The opioid crisis started in corporate boardrooms at companies like Purdue Pharma.  Responding to such behavior, my department took on Purdue, and those who worked with them, to hold them accountable and recover funds for Colorado.

I am proud to report that, after several years of work, we finalized the landmark settlement with the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma in 2025, ending the family’s control of Purdue Pharma and barring them from ever selling opioids in the U.S. again. Under this agreement, which involved a $7.5 billion national settlement, Colorado will receive $75 million over 15 years — funds that will directly support treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts statewide.

Taken together, including a multistate case with 8 opioid manufacturers, Colorado has now secured over $880 million in opioid-related funds over 18 years. Of those funds, more than $130 million has been distributed to communities across the state, strengthening prevention, expanding treatment in underserved areas, and increasing access to recovery support.

In 2025 alone, our department: (1) provided $3 million in state-share funding to support our Naloxone Bulk Purchase Program; (2) launched a new $12 million-dollar competitive funding opportunity (the Resilient Colorado Grant), currently under review; and (3) administered $5 million in our third round of Opioid Infrastructure grants; and (4) is helping to administer our Colorado Opioid Abatement Council’s (or the COAC, as it is called) review of an $11 million-dollar competitive funding opportunity (Round 4 of our state’s Infrastructure share).

In 2024, we saw some positive impacts, but the first part of 2025 suggests that we are still facing considerable work ahead in saving lives. I want to acknowledge a number of promising steps forward, including increasing naloxone access, strengthening recovery support, improving treatment, and expanding prevention education. This crisis is ongoing, and we cannot let up on this work. Some communities are seeing improvements; others, however, are still struggling. Notably, Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic communities have seen concerning increases in overdose rates.

Leading with Transparency & Integrity

As we build on our momentum, we’re also reaffirming how we do this work. Colorado’s model for addressing this crisis is collaborative and innovative. Through a dialogue with local governments, we worked together to develop a framework for how we would invest these funds.  When the Johns Hopkins University Public Health School evaluated all state models after they were instituted, it determined that Colorado’s is the best in the nation. And John Oliver called Colorado’s framework, along with North Carolina’s, the gold standard for transparency.

Colorado continues to set the national standard for transparency in opioid settlement spending. Every dollar — across all 19 regions, local governments, and the state share — is tracked and visible on our public dashboard. We are committed to ensuring that every dollar is focused on this crisis, and that these funds are not simply used to backfill existing programs, thereby negating the impact of these settlement dollars.

Transparency and integrity are the foundation of our trusted system. What we’ve built in Colorado continues to inspire national recognition — not because it’s perfect, but because it’s collaborative. Notably, 90% of settlement funds go to local and regional partners—as quickly as possible. We have also supported one another, exemplified by the fact that all 19 regional councils have submitted and are implementing two-year plans. We hold an annual stakeholder conference and have built a network of shared learning, which also includes regional roundtables and cross-sector partnerships, allowing for good ideas to be scaled statewide.

This community-driven model is what makes Colorado different. We aim not to impose from the top down — but rather, we build from the ground up. And we know that success in this work doesn’t belong to one person or one program. It belongs to all of us — the people who are doing the hard, patient, daily work of saving lives and rebuilding communities.

Thank you for your critical service in strengthening Colorado’s behavioral health workforce. Your commitment to this essential field is seen, and it makes it possible for more people to access the support they need. We thank you for your work to provide addiction and mental health services throughout the state.

Leading from Our Values

As for the work ahead to respond to the opioid crisis, we continue to have our work cut out for us.  From a lack of effective interdiction at the border to the failures of social media platforms to address fentanyl distribution on their platforms, the opioid crisis is widespread and deadly.  We must use every tool we have, including better interdiction and prosecution of drug cartels, enhanced prevention and awareness strategies, more treatment options for those struggling with addiction, improved recovery services, harm reduction efforts like widespread availability of Narcan, and more.

I am a big believer in walking the walk and living our values. That’s why our department has worked hard to become certified as a Recovery Friendly Workplace through the Colorado School of Public Health’s initiative. This certification reflects our commitment to creating a culture where employees negatively impacted by substance use are supported, not stigmatized. It means we’re providing education, resources, and space for open dialogue. And it means modeling what recovery-friendly leadership looks like — because the work of saving lives begins in how we treat one another.

IV. Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing

When I took office, I had little idea of just how much I would work on dire topics related to youth mental health, from overseeing the Safe2Tell program, our investigation into social media’s impact on teens, our work on legislation that supports youth wellness, our robust response to the opioid epidemic, and our commitment to funding programs that support excellent community organizations helping Colorado kids thrive.

I am deeply concerned about the well-being and resilience of Colorado youth, including how social media and AI platforms harm our kids’ mental health. This crisis isn’t just about mental health—it’s about whether youth have the tools and skills they need to thrive. Young people are navigating social media pressures, climate anxiety, academic stress, access to addictive substances and platforms, and economic uncertainty, all while developing the skills and supports to manage those stressors. Our office’s Safe2Tell program data also demonstrates the need for action. Safe2Tell reports related to mental health and suicide continue to be some of the top complaints each month.

Investing in Collective Action

In 2023, our Department began the work to invest the almost $32 million we recovered for Colorado from suing JUUL for driving a teen vaping epidemic. The settlement resolved a lawsuit that alleged Juul targeted youth in its marketing and misled the public about the health risks of its products.

After our initial conversations with stakeholders, we identified one important guiding principle—we wanted to invest the funds, as much as possible, to develop and implement preventive youth mental health strategies that would enable kids to live healthier lives and not turn to vaping in the first place.

Since 2024, we have invested three rounds of funding from this settlement back into communities to support youth mental health and wellbeing and tackle the youth vaping crisis head-on. Collectively, the three funding rounds have now reached 49 of Colorado’s 64 counties.

The first two rounds supported schools, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations in efforts to reduce youth vaping and promote protective factors—such as strong relationships, community involvement, and healthy coping skills—among young people across the state.

The third round supports work across nine school districts and community organizations to strengthen school-community partnerships and promote youth wellbeing across the state.

In many communities, school districts and partners have already come together to address youth mental health. Our goals are to further catalyze such efforts and expand the work that can advance youth mental health and wellness. In other cases, this grant opportunity can provide the opportunity to spur collaboration and creative partnership between community members that may not have strong existing relationships.

Protecting Against the Harms of Social Media

According to a 2024 survey by Rise Above Colorado, teens who spend less than an hour a day on social media report the fewest number of poor mental health days per month (2.5 days), while those who spent 6 or more hours on social media report the highest number of mental health days per month (5.5 days). [9 (PDF)]

That same survey also indicates that the more time youth spend on social media the easier they think it is to access marijuana, alcohol, prescription drugs, and vapes. For example, 30% of youth who spend less than 30 minutes per day on social media indicate marijuana is easy to obtain compared to 62% of youth who spend over six hours on social media.

Colorado has taken these risks to our youth seriously. We are co-leading a bi-partisan multi-state lawsuit against META, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, to hold them accountable for their platforms’ impacts on youth mental health. We are preparing to go to trial against Meta in 2027. We are also co-leading a bi-partisan multi-state investigation against TikTok for the same harms.

I’m also increasingly concerned about the risks of AI chatbots online. AI chatbots and social media platforms are more than just tools. They’re becoming companions and confidantes for their users, including youth under age 18, and in some cases are causing them harm.

According to a recent study, 72% of teens have interacted with an AI chatbot and 31% say those interactions can feel as satisfying as talking to a real-life friend or human companion. Of teens who use AI chatbots, a third say they are using them for emotional support and social interaction, including some using them to practice social interactions and conversations. In these instances, youth may even be sharing personal and confidential information with AI chatbots.

While many parents and teachers are familiar with social media, many did not know about social AI chatbots or how those chatbots were interacting with young people. In May 2025, our office issued a consumer alert warning parents and communities of the dangers of social AI chatbots.

The alert is in response to the growing number of social AI chatbots and the sharp rise in reports of children engaging in risky behavior, including self-harm, resulting from interactions with social AI chatbots. [10 (PDF)]

We were close to 20 years behind on the opioid crisis and 10 years behind on recognizing the harms caused by social media.  Let’s not make the same mistake with AI. We know the risks faced by kids who use chatbots. We should learn from our work with opioids and social media and move fast and move now to combat these harms and start working to provide guardrails to keep our kids safe.

V. Conclusion

Today, our State’s health and well-being face a set of interrelated challenges. Many of these challenges revolve around a lack of resilience and our exposure to systemic shocks. As we confront these opportunities, I thank each of you for the critical role you play to help chart our path forward.

Colorado’s responses to the opioid and youth mental health crises are making a difference. This work saves lives. We are expanding recovery and support. We are building communities of care. And we’re also listening, learning, and improving. As we look toward the horizon ahead and the important work ahead, let’s do so with clear conviction, candid and open dialogue, and unwavering purpose.

It is often said that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety; it’s connection.  It is also clear that Americans are facing a connection crisis that underlies not just the opioid crisis, but our youth mental health crisis.  What we need, therefore, is more community connection, and collective action and collective leadership. Your resilience and dedication, including by showing up today, show us what “our better angels” look like and what can happen when community leaders come together to solve problems.

Thank you for your leadership and dedication — together, we continue to build a stronger, healthier, and more compassionate Colorado.

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