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Local students use photovoice to show how substances are normalized in Aspen
Summary
Middle‑ and high‑school members of Youth Advocates for Healthy Futures presented a photovoice project showing how everyday exposure—marijuana shops, event sponsorships, alcohol left in fridges—normalizes substance use among local youth and proposed steps for parents, event promoters and the county to reduce access and create alternatives.
A group of Aspen middle‑ and high‑school students told the Board of County Commissioners that everyday sights in town — dispensaries near teen hangouts, drinks left in home refrigerators and alcohol‑sponsored promotional items at events — help normalize substance use for young people.
“I'm Yale Giesel. I'm a junior at Aspen High School,” one of the student presenters said as the group opened its photovoice presentation to the commissioners and the public. The project asked local youth to photograph places and objects they see and explain what those images say about the role of alcohol and other substances in their daily lives.
The students said the photovoice project, developed over roughly a year, aims both to educate peers about risks and to push adults to change policies and behaviors that increase youth exposure. They told commissioners they had gathered images showing dispensaries adjacent to youth gathering spots, alcoholic beverages left where children can easily access them, and event sponsorships that make substances seem commonplace.
County and community members who responded to the presentation urged concrete next steps. Several officials noted festival‑level weaknesses in ID and vendor oversight and suggested working with promoters to tighten staffing or verification practices. One commissioner encouraged the students to continue their outreach and recommended exploring modest incentives — for example, student discounts — and dedicated youth “third spaces” where teens could gather without being exposed to alcohol.
Students asked the community to consider three practical measures: stronger enforcement of age‑verification at festivals and vendor booths, more family‑oriented and affordable recreation spaces for teens, and educational outreach targeted to parents about how household access and marketing shape youth perceptions. The presenters also offered posters and a short video as resources for local schools and community centers.
Commissioners and attendees praised the students’ work as a civic engagement model and discussed next steps for county staff, event organizers and local businesses. Officials said they would factor the feedback into upcoming event permitting and public‑safety planning, while encouraging organizers to review how sponsorships and on‑site distribution are handled.
The board did not take a formal vote during the meeting; staff said they would follow up with the students and community partners to explore how enforcement and outreach can be aligned with the students’ recommendations.
