Portland is now dealing with open drug use with the approval of Measure 110. Addicts and other users of drugs or the personal possession of small amounts of hard drugs have become legal in Oregon. Drug use is up at the same time this law is becoming implemented. During a recent meeting of the Portland Business Alliance, local leaders said they will work to eliminate open drug use.
The new law made it legal to openly possess and use drugs without criminal consequences a certainamount of drugs. It is yet to be fully explained how local leaders will fit around the new law which is meant to in some cases prevent the consequences of the criminal justice system from being worse than the drugs themselves. This comes after the Portland City Council approved an ordinance which forbids tent camping during the evening hours. It places punishments on those choosing to refuse shelter.
Overdoses have been in the news frequently. Fentanyl use has been the scariest to read about as it is coming into the state in unprecedented quantities. Law enforcement organizations such as Vancouver Police Department, U.S. Department of Justice, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, and Oregon State Police have been working together to deal with crime and drugs locally.
Drug use is not new to Oregon. The state has reported some of the highest rates of substance use disorder in the nation based on data from federal surveys. The opioid crisis is several decades old. The film Meth Around explores the use of methamphetamine in Oregon which long been Oregon’s deadliest drug. The film dealth with information around treatment in the state of Oregon which is the lowest treatment availability in the country based on information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Business owners are up in arms about the new law. People are reading about more and more Oregonians dying from drug overdoses. On average, three people die every day from an unintended drug overdose, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Fentanyl — a cheap, incredibly addictive synthetic opioid — has created fear as leaders in the city of Portland and Oregon in general search for solutions.
