Recent mayoral debates have been combative, but the forum on Thursday, which focused on fentanyl, was much more collaborative.
Candidates were asked questions by students at 5280 High School, which specializes in providing education for youth dealing with substance misuse and addiction. Their queries, which all dealt with fentanyl use, treatment and support systems for young people, were framed by the students' own struggles with addiction and their successes with sobriety.
Of the 16 mayoral candidates — Kwame Spearman, who was invited, announced his withdrawal from the mayor's race earlier Thursday — 11 participated.
The high school has welcomed about 500 students from all over the Denver area since it opened in 2018, according to Melissa Mouton, the school's founder.
She said some students come to school in a Tesla and others take a two-hour bus ride to get to the refuge and "place of hope."
"There are families out there struggling with a struggling teenager and they don't know where to turn," she said. "And they can come here. We really have students who thrive, not just survive. So, it's a good place."
The forum was personal for several candidates, like Ean Tafoya, a former educator who discussed the distribution of naloxone — commonly known as Narcan — in Denver.
"We know we need it in our hands, but the most important thing is that we deliver it to people," he said. "We need to make sure it's available to everybody, just like first aid training, CPR training and 'stop the bleed' training. Public health and safety is one of my platforms."
Tafoya's position drew support from other candidates. Kelly Brough, whose husband took his own life after a lifetime of struggling with addiction, agreed with Tafoya's positions. Brough said she wants to put Narcan in every public space in Denver and give it to all first responders. She also wants to partner with the private sector to put the life-saving drug in restaurants and stores.
"At the same time, I think we have to really find more resources to ensure you have access to treatment opportunities, particularly for kids," she said. "I would focus on not only making sure Narcan is available, but also providing you the opportunity to do just what you're doing here, finding a path to recovery."
Terrance Roberts, who positioned his campaign as providing more for Denver's young people, said he wants to invest in after-school programs and address poverty through a public banking system. He's been a vocal proponent of more public housing as well.
And he's one of the only candidates to say he has a shared life experience with the kids. He used to be in a gang, abused and sold drugs and had been shot twice. He said the city needs to completely rethink how it provides for the young people that make up nearly 20% of Denver's population, according to 2020 Census numbers.
"It's great when you come to school, you have 100 friends. But what about after school until 10 or 11 at night? What is there for kids to do?" he said. "We need more after school programming dedicated to youth so they can have these connections not only at school with teachers, but also when they get out of school."
Lisa Calderòn also related to the students, saying she "was that young person." She had "suicidal ideation," lived through domestic violence and did not think she would live past 21. Being biracial — she is Latina and Black — she said she was subject to constant criticism for not being "Black enough" or "Latina enough."
"There was no one to talk to or to listen to or to share what I was going through," she said. "We want to build those social connections just like they were built for me, through teachers and mentors that said my life was worth living."
The debate was sponsored by Rise Above Colorado, a group focused on measuring the effects of teen perceptions and attitudes about the risks of substance abuse. Executive Director Kent MacLennan praised the students for sharing personal stories and highlighting the issues affecting their peers.
The debate, he said, will force the candidates to deal with fentanyl. In Denver alone, 233 people died due to a fentanyl overdose last year, making up more than half of all drug related overdoses, according to data from the Office of the Medical Examiner.
This drove Rise Above Colorado to frame the debate through the lens of the easy to manufacture and deadly drug. The organization earlier sent out a questionnaire to mayoral candidates and received responses from 11 of them, detailing how they would address the crisis. MacLennan described it as a "top tier issue" that deserves more discussion.
The mayoral forum is part of the group's campaign not only to keep policymakers' focus on the deadly crisis but also to keep the discussion at the forefront in homes and at schools.
Under its "What is Our Plan?" campaign, the group offers several resources on its website, such as a video about how to talk to teenagers about fentanyl, citing research that, when they trust an adult to deal with challenges, they are less likely to engage in unhealthy behavior. Other resources include links to a smartphone app on recognizing overdoses and reversing it with naloxone.
A big part of the campaign is focused on educators and their role in steering young people away from substance abuse, such as lessons on the dangers of abusing prescription drugs.
"The next mayoral candidate is going to have to be accountable and find solutions to solving this issue, or at least equipping all of us to take action," MacLennan said. "It's important to elevate the conversation because it claimed more lives last year than homicides and car crashes combined."
