BigAngBlack, 2 months ago to oregon

It took years and years for this crisis to build. It takes the same to fix it. And a lot of work, not theatre, real work

How Oregon turned on its own trailblazing #drug law: ‘not the utopia we were promised’ | #Oregon | The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/21/oregon-drug-law-measure-110-backlash

> Three years ago, the state began a novel social experiment that put treatment over punishment – then came the backlash

Other western states such as California and Washington are also overwhelmed by a devastating fentanyl crisis, the study’s authors point out, and have seen similar trends in overdose and addiction without passing a sweeping decriminalisation law like Oregon’s.
“Please address drug addiction and homelessness,” Sandy Chung, executive director of the state’s ACLU chapter, asked legislators. “But do so with real solutions, not political theater.” Fentanyl, she pointed out, is also available in prisons. Punishing people with jail time, she argued, will not force them into recovery.
Oregonians are, understandably, she says, growing weary of homelessness and the fentanyl crisis. “I know there are a lot of people that really hope they just, like, lock everyone up and throw away the key,” she says. “I think people who just want it to be different and just don’t want to see it any more.”

enobacon, 6 months ago to random

we've tried almost nothing and we're all out of ideas #ORpol #housingCrisis #Measure110

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2023/07/oregon-drug-decriminalization-results-overdoses/674733/

longreads, 9 months ago to LongReads

"But they both lost their jobs during Covid, and sitting around the house led to using, which led, eventually, to not having a house. 'It—was a lot,' she said, choking on the words." —Jack Holmes for Esquire

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a44651237/oregon-drug-decriminalization-measure-110/

#Longreads #EditorsPicks #Portland #Measure110 #Fentanyl #DrugAbuse