Acceptability of Extreme Risk Protection Orders Across Regions of Colorado

Q: What is the study’s purpose regarding ERPOs in Colorado?

The study examines community acceptability of ERPOs across Colorado and compares acceptability among regions.

Q: How did the researchers measure acceptability?

They used the cross-sectional 2023 Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Survey, asking respondents to rank ERPO appropriateness in five high-risk scenarios.

Q: What were the main findings on regional acceptability differences?

Over 70% of adults across all regions rated ERPOs at least sometimes appropriate in all five scenarios. Regional differences were minimal, except that West/South participants were less likely to endorse ERPO appropriateness in two scenarios.

Q: What do the conclusions suggest for policymakers and public health practice?

Community support appears generally high, implying ERPO acceptability may not match regional disparities in ERPO utilization; the authors recommend prioritizing education on when and how ERPOs could be useful and addressing narratives claiming low support.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Mimi

A cross-sectional analysis evaluates community acceptability of Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) across four geographic regions in Colorado. Survey responses from 1,520 adults in the 2023 Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Survey were used to rank appropriateness of ERPOs in five high-risk scenarios, with regional population weighting and logistic regression comparisons. More than 70% of adults in every region considered ERPOs at least sometimes appropriate in all scenarios. Regional differences were limited, yet the West/South region was less likely to endorse ERPO appropriateness in two scenarios, supporting generally high public support despite uneven ERPO utilization.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

RESEARCH ARTICLE Acceptability of Extreme Risk Protection Orders Across Regions of Colorado Madeline Balser, MPH, MSW,1,2 Christopher E. Knoepke, PhD, MSW, LCSW,1,2,3 ,4 Megan Sanders, MPP,1 Kate Little, BA,1,4 Leslie M. Barnard, MPH, DrPH,1,5 Erin Wright-Kelly, MA, DrPH 1 ,4,6 Introduction: The utilization of Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) throughout Colorado varies regionally. Given the potential of ERPOs to decrease ﬁrearm violence, this study aims to explore community acceptability of ERPOs in Colorado and to compare acceptability among regions. Methods: The cross-sectional 2023 Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Survey was administered to 1,520 Colorado adults across 4 geographic regions. Respondents ranked the appropriateness of ERPOs in 5 high-risk scenarios to assess acceptability. Responses were weighted to represent each region’s population, and differences in acceptability were analyzed using logistic regression. Results: More than 70% of Colorado adults across all regions deemed ERPOs at least sometimes appropriate in all 5 scenarios. Although there were minimal regional differences in ERPO acceptability, the West/South region was signiﬁcantly less likely than other regions to say ERPOs were at least sometimes appropriate in 2 of 5 scenarios (p<0.01) . Conclusions: Community support for ERPOs is generally high across culturally diverse Colorado regions, suggesting that the acceptability of ERPOs as a violence prevention intervention might not align with regional disparities in ERPO utilization. Few regional differences in acceptability underscore the need to align ERPO application and educational efforts with this widespread public support. Policymakers and public health professionals should challenge narratives purporting low public support for ERPOs and prioritize the education of community members about how and when ERPOs could be useful. AJPM Focus 2026;5(1):100442. © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ([http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)). From the 1Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; 2Adult and Child Center for Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; 3Division of Cardiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; 4Injury and Violence Prevention Center, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; 5Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; and 6Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado Address correspondence to: Madeline Balser, MPH, MSW, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Adult and Child Center for Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, 1890 North Revere Court, Aurora, [CO 80045. E-mail:](CO 80045. E-mail: madeline.balser@cuanschutz.edu)[ madeline.balser@cuanschutz.edu](CO 80045. E-mail: madeline.balser@cuanschutz.edu). 2773-0654/$36.00 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focus.2025.100442](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focus.2025.100442) © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. AJPM Focus 2026;5(1):100442 1 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ([http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)). 2 Balser et al / AJPM Focus 2026;5(1):100442 INTRODUCTION Firearm violence has risen to the forefront of public health concern in the United States, with 1 ﬁrearminvolved death every 11 minutes in 2022 .1 Multiple policies have been implemented at state and federal levels to prevent ﬁrearm violence,

FAQs

What is the study’s purpose regarding ERPOs in Colorado?

The study examines community acceptability of ERPOs across Colorado and compares acceptability among regions.

How did the researchers measure acceptability?

They used the cross-sectional 2023 Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Survey, asking respondents to rank ERPO appropriateness in five high-risk scenarios.

What were the main findings on regional acceptability differences?

Over 70% of adults across all regions rated ERPOs at least sometimes appropriate in all five scenarios. Regional differences were minimal, except that West/South participants were less likely to endorse ERPO appropriateness in two scenarios.

What do the conclusions suggest for policymakers and public health practice?

Community support appears generally high, implying ERPO acceptability may not match regional disparities in ERPO utilization; the authors recommend prioritizing education on when and how ERPOs could be useful and addressing narratives claiming low support.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Mimi