Oregon Decriminalized Drug Use and Saw An Increase In Overdoses

In 2020, the Oregon legislature put forth a ballot measure to decriminalize possession of small amounts of nearly all hard drugs. The intended results were to encourage self-help, rather than incarceration. However, the results two years into the legislation show quite the opposite.

Secretary of State Shemia Fagan stated:

“When the voters of Oregon passed Measure 110, we did so because it was a change of policy in Oregon to improve the lives of people, to improve our communities. And in the years since, we haven’t seen that play out. Instead … we’ve seen the problem with drug addiction get worse.”

Lily Morgan, a Republican state rep noted her district has seen a 700% increase in overdoses and a 120% increase in deaths. 

The measure went into effect in February 2021 and allowed people who had small amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, etc to receive a $100 fine. If the person came and called a hotline for treatment, the fine was waived. 

According to the Washington Examiner, “Only 91 of 1,885 people ticketed called the hotline. Allen admitted he needed more staff because he underestimated the amount of work needed to make the program succeed. So far, only 13% of the $300 million budget has been spent.”

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