Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announces the $20 million youth mental health grant initiative at the Colorado Education Initiative’s Hopeful Futures Conference Tuesday.
“Youth are facing a mental health and vaping crisis that is driven by a lack of meaningful connections in their lives. Even before the trauma and isolation of the COVID-19 epidemic, children and youth were facing increasing rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, which research shows increases the likelihood of youth vaping,” Weiser said.
Sage Kelley sage.kelley@denvergazette.com | Updated
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Citing startling, rising, suicide rates among minors and young adults, Colorado’s Attorney General on Tuesday announced plans to use $20 million from a settlement with a vaping manufacturer to boost the state’s mental health services for youth.
Suicide rates for people between the age of 10 and 24 increased nationally from 2007 through 2021 from 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people to 11, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For youths between the ages of 10 to 14, the suicide rate tripled from 2007 to 2019 from 0.9 to 2.9 per 100,000 people.
“For those who are not afraid of this situation, chances are they are not paying attention to it,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said of youth mental health decline during a press conference at the Colorado Education Initiative’s Hopeful Futures Conference on Tuesday.
Weiser said the $20 million will provide grants to pursue partnerships that target the promotion of mental wellness and interventions for students identified with mental health concerns and with serious concerns that affect daily functions.
Referring to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s call to action regarding youth mental health issues in 2021, Weiser said: “He called on all of us, as leaders, to lead with inclusion, kindness and respect for a foundation for healthier, more resilient and more fulfilled citizens.”
The initiative will provide grant opportunities to applicable community partners and school districts to support youth connection and decrease youth vaping.
Applications will open in the fall 2024 and close in January 2025, according to Weiser.
The $20 million stemmed from the nearly $32 million Weiser’s office received following a multistate settlement with vaping company Juul Labs, Inc. in 2023 after suing the firm for targeting young customers through marketing and misrepresenting the health risks of product usage.
“We received $32 million to invest, importantly, preventatively so kids don’t have declining mental health in terms of vaping,” Weiser said.
He added that many people in the community noted that building positive behaviors before vaping will be more productive than the “punitive surveillance approach.”
“We are proud to advance our work with schools and communities across Colorado to develop preventive youth mental health strategies that will enable kids to live healthier lives and not turn to vaping in the first place,” he said.
Multiple foundations have already pledged to invest in school and community-led efforts to develop solutions for youth mental health and to deter youth from turning to nicotine usage.
These 10 foundations include: Rose Community Foundation, The El Pomar Foundation, The Telluride Foundation, Western Colorado Community Foundation, The Anschutz Foundation, Gazette Charities, The Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation, Caring for Colorado, Gary Community Ventures and the Denver Broncos Foundation.
The application process will prioritize community and school partnerships that include multiple districts and organizations, especially ones including larger school districts. The office will also prioritize applications that reflect ideas coming directly from young people, according to a news release from the Attorney General’s Office.
Larger projects that serve at least 23,000 students will be eligible for up to $2.5 million in funding.
