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.

  • @Candelestine
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    667 months ago

    I mean, if the people are willing to risk their lives with an overdose, I don’t think a criminal penalty is going to scare them very much. So, yeah, more resources for treatment are probably necessary.

    • @linearchaos
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      -297 months ago

      It’s not that the penalty is effective, it lets law enforcement remove them from the public places.

      • @surewhynotlem
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        527 months ago

        “go die someplace else. I’m trying to civilized society over here”

        • @linearchaos
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          -177 months ago

          One solution’s been tried and it didn’t work we should just give up.

          • @njm1314
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            147 months ago

            Did you mean this to sound like it undermines your argument as much as it does?

            • @linearchaos
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              -117 months ago

              Yeah, sounds like I’m arguing with fascists.

              • @[email protected]
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                97 months ago

                It sounds like you have poor reading comprehension and don’t know who you’re arguing with.

                • @linearchaos
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                  -47 months ago

                  Nah, just another literal A-hole I need to block

              • Queue
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                37 months ago

                I don’t think fascists support treating addicted members of society and not exporting them elsewhere via final solution methods. I could be wrong, but I don’t think that’s what they are famous for, compassion towards a health crisis.

        • @linearchaos
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          -47 months ago

          That’s the same argument the gun rates activists use