The results of a community health survey conducted in 1999 by the Montezuma County Health Department show that the county is experiencing the same set of problems it was five years ago.

Survey respondents listed alcohol and drug abuse, tobacco use, teenage pregnancy, overweight and a lack of exercise as the top areas of concern for the community. The results are used by health-department employees as a guide to decide which health issues to face head-on.

"Five years ago we began to tackle the smoking problem and started up cessation programs that are still in place," said John Godbey, a registered nurse with the health department.

This year the department is creating a senior-youth mentor program that connects kids on the Montezuma County Partner’s waiting list and clients at the Sunrise Youth Center in Towaoc with local adults who want to participate.

"We feel that seniors have more time available to volunteer, and are a good influence for at-risk kids in need," Godbey said. "We want to tie it in with recreational activities like hiking, rafting, biking or cross-country skiing — something health-related to help encourage good habits. It’s also a good idea to bridge those generational gaps by bringing together groups who normally do not get together."

The program seeks active adult volunteers who are 50 years of age or older to mentor children who are from 8 to 18 years old. The kids will also take nutrition and cooking classes taught by the Colorado State University Extension office.

The health survey consisted of two components. Forty "key informants" were given surveys because of their knowledge of health-related issues, and the remainder were randomly chosen.

More than 300 responses were gathered from City Market, Wal-Mart, professional offices, banks, libraries and other public places in Cortez, Dolores, Mancos and Towaoc. Participants were asked to rate potential health problems as "no problem," "minor problem" or "don’t know".

The survey was designed by Colorado Action for Healthy People, a non-profit organization that assists Colorado communities desiring to promote healthy behaviors.

"Clearly, these are problems that have no easy solution and the perception is that these are problems that have not gone away and still need to be addressed," stated a health department news release.