Rising homelessness and visible crime in Portland fed panic over a drug decriminalization measure passed in 2020. But rolling that back won't solve the state's problems.
In a move widely hailed as a failure for the drug decriminalization movement, Oregon restored criminal penalties for low-level drug possession in April. Headlines chalked up this policy reversal to mounting overdoses, evoking a crisis in the state. In reality, Oregon’s overdose rate remains in the middle of the pack nationally, with more than half of U.S. states having a greater number of deaths per capita.
Countries such as Portugal and Norway have followed a well-defined, alternative path to reduce drug-related deaths and public drug use. The steps include: Scale up opportunities for compassionate contact with the system, such as with free walk-in clinics for vulnerable people who use drugs. Make it easier and cheaper to access buprenorphine and methadone, medications that treat opioid addiction, than street fentanyl.
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