News Archive - 2019
Pitkin County Considers Raising Tobacco Purchase Age to 21
By: Alex Hager, Aspen Public Radio; December 18, 2019
Colorado has the highest rate of youth electronic cigarette use in the nation, and use among high schoolers in Pitkin County is among the highest in the state. [Read more]
Pitkin County Building Bathroom to Become All-Inclusive, Building Places "For All People"By: Jason Auslander, Aspen Times; December 2, 2019
Pitkin County officials are planning to convert a men’s bathroom in the newly built county building on Main Street into an “all-accommodating” bathroom for transgender and other citizens, an official said Thursday. [Read more]
Pitkin County Issue 1A: Voters Approve of Tax on Tobacco Products
By: Jason Auslander, Aspen Times; November 5, 2019
Pitkin County’s proposed tobacco tax appeared well on its way to passing Tuesday night by a nearly three-to-one margin. “Looks like we got it,” Pitkin Board of County Commissioners Chairman Greg Poschman said Tuesday night. “I think it’s great.” [Read more]
Mental Health at the Center of Local Law Enforcement
By: Megan Tackett, Aspen Daily News; October 17, 2019
Of the 199 calls involving mental health recorded by the Pitkin Area Co-Responder Teams, or PACT, in the last three months, Katie Hundertmark assisted with 129. Hundertmark is the mental health clinician who serves as the co-responder in PACT calls. [Read more]
Teens Discuss Addiction and Vaping: Part 2
By: Azyep, KDNK Community Radio; October 7, 2019
In a two part series, teen interns with Garfield County Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) discuss vaping in schools with Risa Turetsky of Pitkin County Public Health. [Read more]
Mental Well-Being Survey to Inform Pitkin County Strategic Vision
By: Alycin Bektesh, Aspen Daily News; October 3, 2019
Some of the area’s biggest organizations have partnered to address the mental health needs of the community. Pitkin County, the Aspen School District, Aspen Valley Hospital, the city of Aspen, Aspen Skiing Co. and the Aspen Community Foundation are working together to develop a strategic vision and master plan... [Read more]
Pitkin County Officials Agree on More Tobacco Restrictions
By: Andre Salvail, Aspen Daily News; October 2, 2019
Pitkin County commissioners have informally agreed to move ahead with an ordinance that would raise the minimum age for tobacco purchases to 21 and ban the sale of all flavored nicotine products. [Read more]
Pitkin County Seeks Public Input on Mental Wellbeing Survey
By: Molly Dove, Aspen Public Radio; September 26, 2019
Valley residents who work or live in Pitkin County are encouraged to take a mental wellbeing survey to help create the county’s mental health strategic plan. About 70 people have taken the survey so far. The survey asks about access to mental health services, what affects mental wellbeing and the mental state of people around them. [Read more]
Longevity Project: Mental Health Connected to Culture, Altitude of Mountain Communities
By: Maddie Vincent, Aspen Times; September 24, 2019
Soon after Jose Saez moved to the Aspen area four years ago, his well-being took a turn for the worse. Convinced to relocate to the Roaring Fork Valley by a friend he went into business with, Saez said life was good for a little bit. About a year-and-a-half into the partnership, the business crumbled. [Read more]
Impact of Nicotine On Youth, Local Municipalities Taking Action
By: Molly Dove, Aspen Public Radio; August 30, 2019
A 2017 survery reports over 50 percent of students in the Roaring Fork Valley have used an electronic vapor product, like an e-cigarette. Now, local municipalities are taking action... [Read more]
Pitkin County Officials Continue to Brainstorm Ideas for Phillips Trailer Park
By: Andre Salvail, Aspen Daily News; August 21, 2019
No major health issues have been identified at the Phillips Trailer Park community that Pitkin County purchased for $6.5 million in early 2018 with the goal of preserving the property as affordable housing. [Read more]
Work Session Planned to Connect Dots Between Trailer Park and Health Effects
By: Andre Salvail, Aspen Daily News; August 19, 2019
Key findings from a health assessment relating to the Phillips Trailer Park property, located a few miles north of Woody Creek, will be highlighted at Tuesday’s work session of Pitkin County commissioners. [Read more]
Pitkin County to Hold Open House on Tobacco Tax
By: Aspen Daily News Staff Report; July 27, 2019
Tobacco retailers and interested members of the public are invited to a meeting next week to learn about Pitkin County’s proposed new tobacco policy and tobacco tax. “We’ve gotten the green light from Pitkin County commissioners to pursue this policy and begin drafting ballot language for the November election,” said Pitkin County Public Health Director Karen Koenemann. [Read more]
Link Between Housing Costs and Health Problems Stressed
By: Andre Salvail, Aspen Daily News; July 17, 2019
A presentation to Pitkin County commissioners on Tuesday sought to drive home the connection between the regional housing shortage and its effect on health. [Read more]
Mind Springs Mental Health Services in Pitkin County Remain Unchanged
By: Jason Auslander, Aspen Times; July 15, 2019
Pitkin County officials worked hard over the past two years to build a mental health care system that provides affordable, accessible care to all county residents. [Read more]
Mental Health Assistance Now Available During Police Response
By: Alycin Bektesh, Aspen Daily News; June 19, 2019
Law enforcement agencies in Pitkin County now have a team to assist with incidents involving someone with mental health and substance abuse issues. [Read more]
Guest Commentary: Vaccinations are a Must to Stop Outbreaks, Make Communities Safe
By: Karen Koenemann, Aspen Times; April 1, 2019
Today, there are outbreaks of measles in Oregon, Washington, New York, Texas and Illinois and individual cases in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky and New Jersey. Over 206 people have been confirmed to have the disease in 2019 alone — a threefold increase from the same period in 2010. Believe it or not, measles was declared eradicated from the United States in 2000. [Read more]
Guest Commentary: Vaccinations are Shared Responsibility
By: Karen Koenemann, Aspen Daily News; March 30, 2019
Today, there are outbreaks of measles in Oregon, Washington, New York, Texas and Illinois and individual cases in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky and New Jersey. Over 206 people have been confirmed to have the disease in 2019 alone — a threefold increase from the same period in 2010. Believe it or not, measles was declared eradicated from the United States in 2000. [Read more]
Aspen’s Measles Vaccination Rate Concerning
By: Jason Auslander, Aspen Times; March 28, 2019
The measles, mumps and rubella immunization rate for children in Aspen-area schools is under the average necessary to prevent an outbreak, according to statistics and local public health officials. [Read more]
Pitkin County Board Still Unsure on Cloud Seeding Risks
By: Jason Auslander, Aspen Times; March 19, 2019
Cloud seeding appears to pose little risk to human health, though questions remain about adding a heavy metal to the environment. [Read more]
Officials: Pitkin County’s Mental Health Effort Working
By: Jason Auslander, Aspen Times; February 12, 2019
A nearly $500,000 collaborative effort to offer better and more accessible mental-health care in Pitkin County last year appears to be paying off in a big way. [Read more]
Town of Snowmass Looks to Increase Age to Buy Tobacco Products to 21
By: Erica Robbie, Aspen Times; February 12, 2019
Two Snowmass businesses recently increased the age that patrons may purchase tobacco products to 21, while two other village retailers soon will join the club. Pitkin County health officials and Snowmass Town Council at a meeting Feb. 4 continued talk of boosting the age to buy tobacco products and the overwhelming use of e-cigarette among adolescents both nationally and locally. [Read more]
Four-Way Agreement Moves Money Toward Mental Health Care
By: Andre Salvail, Aspen Daily News; February 12, 2019
At a work session today, Pitkin County government staff and elected officials are expected to discuss the impact of last year’s four-way intergovernmental agreement that was designed to provide $448,000 to two nonprofits at the forefront of local mental-health initiatives. [Read more]