Just three years after Oregon became the first state to decriminalize drug use, a state of emergency was declared Tuesday over the rampant fentanyl problem in downtown Portland.
Gov. Tina Kotek, along with Multnomah County Chairwoman Jessica Vega Pederson and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, each passed an ordinance establishing an emergency command center for drug overdose response and prevention for at least 90 days. Announced.
“Our nation and our state have never seen a drug so deadly and addictive, and we are at a loss as to how to respond,” Governor Kotek said.
“The Speaker, the Mayor and I recognize that we need urgent and united action across our public health and community safety systems to overcome this crisis. I’m in this situation.”
Kotek’s office said the three emergency declarations were issued to pool and “refocus existing resources” across city, county and state jurisdictions.
The center will serve as an immediate treatment access site that connects people addicted to synthetic opioids to a variety of resources, from beds at drug treatment centers to meetings with behavioral health physicians who can help enroll them in food stamps.
Department of Health officials also plan to collect data on the impact of fentanyl in Portland’s downtown area to strategically address gaps in the government’s approach to quelling the city’s growing drug problem. .
This initiative also expands the partnership between the Portland Police Bureau and Oregon State Police; While cracking down on people trafficking the deadly drug, health officials will conduct outreach to civilians, including distributing Narcan and training in its use.
“Today, under the authority of the state of emergency, we move forward with urgency to address these challenges together. This is the type of action that was taken,” Mayor Wheeler said.
The proclamation is a recommendation from a task force established by the governor that met for several months last year to determine how to revitalize downtown Portland.
This significant announcement comes just six months after data was released showing overdose deaths from synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl. Increased by 533% between 2018 and 2022 Located in Multnomah County, where Portland is located.
The state’s largest city is facing intense backlash over the nation’s first law in 2020 to decriminalize short-term drug use after the fentanyl crisis exploded in recent months.
The law prioritized addiction treatment over criminal penalties, but instead led to an epidemic of synthetic opioids on Portland’s streets.
Health authorities previously distributed aluminum foil, straws and suction kits to drug users as part of a “harm reduction program.”
Oregon has the highest number of synthetic overdose deaths in the nation and is facing the third-highest increase in total overdose deaths, according to the data. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Oregon Democrats are proposing to roll back part of the decriminalization law, which would undo key parts of the original bill but also ensure that people caught with hard drugs are sent to addiction counseling instead of jail. It will be done.
