Oregon’s first-in-the-nation law that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs in favor of an emphasis on addiction treatment is facing strong headwinds in the progressive state after an explosion of public drug use fueled by the proliferation of fentanyl and a surge in deaths from opioids, including those of children.
“The inability for people to live their day-to-day life without encountering open-air drug use is so pressing on urban folks’ minds,” said John Horvick, vice president of polling firm DHM Research. “That has very much changed people’s perspective about what they think Measure 110 is.”
When the law was approved by 58% of Oregon voters three years ago, supporters championed Measure 110 as a revolutionary approach that would transform addiction by minimizing penalties for drug use and investing instead in recovery.
But even top Democratic lawmakers who backed the law, which will likely dominate the upcoming legislative session, say they’re now open to revisiting it after the biggest increase in synthetic opioid deaths among states that have reported their numbers.
The mandatory part is the court review to decide if they need treatment or a fine. Here, we just cite them a $100 ticket (which they ignore) and turn them loose. There’s no sort of a review.
Obviously if someone is passing out in the street from fentanyl or overdosing multiple times resulting in over burdening the 911 system, that’s a call for mandatory treatment. They have abdicated personal responsibility at that point and are burdening the community at large with their bullshit.
I’m all for letting people deal with their personal problems on their own, but when their problems suddenly become OUR problems, that’s where the professionals need to step in.
It’s not a court. It’s a commission made up of three people: A social worker, a psychiatrist, and an attorney. The mandatory part is to appear in front of the commission, not as you originally said, to engage in treatment. They can decide that they need treatment, but addicts don’t need to go.
At heart, in my opinion, is trust in the commission to center the addicts needs.
I’m no defending or critiquing Oregon’s program. I am saying that you are misinformed and have confidently spread that misinformation.
And it’s more than what Oregon does…
I’m no defending or critiquing Oregon’s program. I am saying that you are misinformed and have confidently spread that misinformation. I don’t care about what Oregon does or doesn’t do in this conversation. I care about people spreading misinformation.
I hope we can end with that.