Physicians urge Keystone to restore special‑event oversight after Bacon and Bourbon festival

At the start of the June 30 meeting, two physicians urged the Keystone Town Council to reconsider its approach to special‑event oversight after the recent Keystone Bacon and Bourbon Festival.

Haley Burke, a double‑board‑certified physician on faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, described herself as a physician for the NFL Players Association and said Keystone had opted out of Summit County special‑event requirements. She told the council the festival promoted large quantities of bacon and included activities involving children, and requested that the town opt into Summit County’s special‑event rules, or at minimum limit participation to adults, require written informed consent acknowledging processed‑meat cancer risks, and require event sponsors to provide healthier alternatives.

"This is pertinent because bacon is a known class 1 carcinogen," Burke said, citing journal literature and urging clear warnings and age limits for future festivals.

Neil Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, reiterated the health concerns and asked council support for three steps Burke outlined: limiting participation to adults, educating attendees on the risks of processed meat, and requiring sponsors to provide healthier alternatives. Barnard said the World Health Organization’s prior findings and subsequent studies link processed meat consumption with increased colorectal‑cancer risk and that promotional activities encouraging children to consume or promote bacon were inappropriate.

Council did not take immediate action during the meeting. The presiding officer told speakers their emails were part of the public record; no staff report or ordinance change was presented during the hearing. Town staff and council members did not provide a commitment to reinstate Summit County special‑event requirements at the meeting.