An overwhelming percentage of Coloradans say climate change is harming human health

Coloradosun · May 11, 2026 · 571 words · By John Ingold

climate_change Public Health Demographic Analysis

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What to know about climate_change

Even after a drought-denting snowstorm across much of Colorado last week, here are some sobering numbers amid our unseasonably warm, historically dry year: - 81.7: The percentage of Coloradans who say that the changing climate impacts people’s health.

Claims checked 11

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

- 37.7: The percentage of Coloradans who say their own health or a family member’s health was impacted by climate change within the previous year.

Common ground

- 1.5 million: The number of people that 37.7% represents.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this climate_change story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Second, at 9.9%, are mental health or substance use issues?
How does this story connect climate_change with Public Health over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/11/climate-change-human-health-poll/

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified 2

check_circle Corroborated 1

verified Verified By Reference 1

schedule Pending 1

info

Claim 1: “Second, at 9.9%, are mental health or substance use issues”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific figure of 9.9% for mental health/substance use is found in the same single poll summary as claim 5, without independent corroboration.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — For instance, the most commonly reported health issues due to climate are respiratory illnesses or breathing problems, with 26.8% of respondents saying they or a family member experienced them. Second…
https://coloradosun.com/2026/05/11/climate-change-human-heal…

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web search NEUTRAL — Substance use and mental health issues have significant impacts on individuals, families, communities, and societies. 1, 2, 3, 4 The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), conducted annually …
https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt4…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — On January 4, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released the results of its annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, whi…
https://www.naco.org/news/samhsa-releases-new-survey-data-ra…

help

Claim 2: “The report also zooms in on the 12.3% of people who say they don’t believe the climate is changing or that it can impact health.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for the 12.3% figure.

verified

Claim 3: “The figures come courtesy of new survey data from the Colorado Health Institute, a nonpartisan health policy research organization.”

VERIFIED

Multiple sources confirm the Colorado Health Institute (CHI) is a source of health information, data, and analysis for Colorado, and the NORC result confirms they produce the Health Access Survey.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Amendment 69 was an initiated constitutional amendment that appeared on the November 8, 2016, ballot in the state of Colorado. The measure aimed to create a universal healthcare scheme for state resid…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Colorado_Amendment_69

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Colorado State Mental Hospital at Pueblo was Colorado state's largest institution dedicated to caring for the mentally ill until 1962, when the process of regional decentralization resulted in it …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Mental_Health_Institu…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Colorado Anschutz is the academic health sciences campus in Aurora, Colorado, that houses the University of Colorado's six health sciences-related schools and colleges, including the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Colorado_Anschut…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 4: “37.7: The percentage of Coloradans who say their own health or a family member’s health was impacted by climate change within the previous year.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While other claims from the same survey are corroborated, this specific 37.7% figure is not explicitly repeated in the provided evidence snippets, though it likely originates from the same report.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Colorado is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, and part of the Southwestern United States, sharing the Four Corners regio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Colorado-Texas Tomato War is an annual event held at Twin Lakes, Lake County, Colorado. It was started in 1982 by local hotel owner Taylor Adams, ended circa 1991, and was revived in 2011. The ev…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado-Texas_Tomato_War

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of some notable people who have lived in the U.S. state of Colorado. It includes people who were born, raised, or have significant relations with the state. Coloradans have been promine…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Colorado

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 5: “Of the 6% of people who said they didn’t know that climate change could impact health, a disproportionate number spoke a language other than English at home”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of unrelated YouTube and Lancet links; no evidence was found regarding the 6% of respondents or language spoken at home.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The share of respondents who said they do not experience any anxiety regarding climate change has increased by eight percentage points to 22 percent. “Climate change does not seem to instil as much fe…
https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/climate-anxiety-declini…

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web search NEUTRAL — Potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria...
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-1…

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Claim 6: “81.7: The percentage of Coloradans who say that the changing climate impacts people’s health.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results confirm the 81.7% figure from the 2025 Colorado Health Access Survey.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 7: “Those folks are more likely to be male, to be middle-aged, to be middle-income, or to live in a rural area, according to the report.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for the demographic breakdown of those who do not believe in climate change.

verified

Claim 8: “1.5 million: The number of people that 37.7% represents.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence provided mentions Colorado's population growth but does not provide the current total population or a calculation confirming that 37.7% equals 1.5 million people.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Colorado City is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) in Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Pueblo, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Color…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_City,_Colorado

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Colorado Springs is a home rule city that is the county seat of, and the most populous city in, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.0…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Springs,_Colorado

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 9: “The Colorado Health Institute pulled the numbers from its every-other-year Colorado Health Access Survey.”

VERIFIED

The Colorado Health Institute's own FAQ and web pages explicitly state the Colorado Health Access Survey is conducted every other year (biennial) and in odd-numbered years.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) is a public research university in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. It is one of four campuses that make up the University of Colorado syst…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Colorado_Colorad…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) is a public research university located in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is part of the University of Colorado system. Established in 1912 as an extension…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Colorado_Denver

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 10: “the most commonly reported health issues due to climate are respiratory illnesses or breathing problems, with 26.8% of respondents saying they or a family member experienced them.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific figure of 26.8% for respiratory illnesses is found in one web search result (a poll summary), but not corroborated by a second independent organization.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 26 is the gematric number, being the sum of the Hebrew characters (Hebrew: יהוה) being the name of the god of Israel – YHWH (Yahweh). 26 is also the gematric number for GOD with the corresponding subs…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/26_(number)

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Respiratory problems — This category represents any reference to any kind of respiratory health problems, such as lung diseases or breathing difficulties. It does not include lung cancer.
https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/climate-change-in-t…

schedule

Claim 11: “people in Colorado who don’t believe in climate change account for no more than 18% in any specific group [men, rural residents, or middle-aged individuals].”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.