Data
When developing programs and policies, it is essential to consider data and evidence to understand the issue, set strategy, and measure results. Throughout our history, the Consortium has used data to develop outreach strategies, evaluate the efficacy of programs like the medication-assisted treatment expansion program, and plan public awareness campaigns.
The purpose of this page is to provide a convenient place to find links to important data sources, such as those maintained by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. We also are posting links to or uploading important reports or data briefs.
This is not exhaustive! If you have a suggestion, please send it to the Consortium.
Data sources and quality
The data sources this page uses are from respected and reliable sources, such as the CDC. If you have questions about how the data was collected or a study’s methodology, please look at the original data sources.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
The CDPHE collects state and local-level data to help understand health and related issues affecting people in Colorado. The Colorado Health Information Dataset (CoHID) is the comprehensive collection of this data, and the CDPHE has posted a video on YouTube explaining how to use the databases and dashboards.
Drug overdose data
The CDPHE has posted several dashboards showing county and state-level data on fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses in Colorado, and they include detailed demographic characteristics, cause of death, circumstances and toxicology.
Overdose fatalities
Data about overdose deaths since 2000 is in three databases. To see which dashboard is most relevant to you, visit the landing page.
State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS)
The SUDORS dashboard provides additional information about the circumstances of the death and the substances involved.
Nonfatal overdose data
The CDPHE also collects and posts data tracking nonfatal overdoses that lead to emergency department visits and hospital admissions. You can find that dashboard here.
Colorado Health Statistics Regional Profiles
The Colorado State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup has developed regional profiles from local data. The profiles are based on the 21 Health Statistics Regions in the state. To see those profiles, visit the SEOW’s website.
Federal data
The federal government collects a massive amount of data, and it has posted databases and studies relevant to our work. This data is still available online as of March 25, 2025.
Center for Disease Control Provisional Overdose Death Counts
The CDC has created a data visualization that presents provisional counts for drug overdose deaths based on a current flow of mortality data in the National Vital Statistics System. According to the CDC, this data is based on the data as of the date specified on the site and might not include all deaths that occurred during a given time period.
The data can be filtered by state and also by drug and drug class.
The advantage of the CDC’s data is it is published more frequently than data collected by the CDPHE. It is a good idea to read the CDC’s explanation of its methodology, which is detailed on that web page.
Full dataset
For a deep dive into the data, users can download the complete dataset in formats such as .CSV, which can be sorted an analyzed in spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel. Go to the page’s “Options” section to find the data set.
Center for Disease Control National Center for Health Statistics data briefs
The CDC often publishes summaries and analyses of the data it collects. One brief worth reading is “Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2003–2023,” which was published in December 2024. It includes information in health disparities and how they affect overdose deaths. You also can download a PDF version.