Oregon’s experiment to curb overdoses by decriminalizing small amounts of illicit drugs is in its third year, and life has changed for most everyone in the city of Portland.
Portlander here… absolute truth, with one minor omission…
Yes, if you get busted with drugs it’s a $100 ticket, and yes, you can get that ticket waived if you call a toll free number and reach out for treatment.
The stat missing from the article is that of the 16,000+ people ticketed under measure 110, less than 1% have called the number to seek treatment.
Yes, but harm reduction is exactly that. It’s also a first step for many people. We need to provide levels of care beyond the black and white “you’re bad because you use drugs and we’re only going to help you after you stop” mentality.
Harm reduction saves real lives and provides more opportunities for connection with treatment services in the future.
From the article:
“That first step builds trust and can lead to people engaging with other supports and services,” she said. “Formal treatment is not a goal for many people using substances, at least not initially.”
Portlander here… absolute truth, with one minor omission…
Yes, if you get busted with drugs it’s a $100 ticket, and yes, you can get that ticket waived if you call a toll free number and reach out for treatment.
The stat missing from the article is that of the 16,000+ people ticketed under measure 110, less than 1% have called the number to seek treatment.
https://www.opb.org/article/2022/02/14/oregon-drug-decriminalization-measure-110-grants-treatment-recovery-services/?outputType=amp
Most of them seek “harm reduction”. Clean needles, narcan, whatever lets them keep their addiction rolling unimpeded.
Yes, but harm reduction is exactly that. It’s also a first step for many people. We need to provide levels of care beyond the black and white “you’re bad because you use drugs and we’re only going to help you after you stop” mentality.
Harm reduction saves real lives and provides more opportunities for connection with treatment services in the future.
From the article:
“That first step builds trust and can lead to people engaging with other supports and services,” she said. “Formal treatment is not a goal for many people using substances, at least not initially.”