Overdose rates have surged in Oregon after it stopped jailing fentanyl and other hard drug users.

Nearly 60% of Oregon voters support Proposition 110 In November 2020, drug users will be required to pay a fine of $100 for drug possession or undergo a physical examination. evaluation Instead of fines of up to $6,250 and the possibility of jail time, as required by previous laws, he enlisted the help of substance abuse experts. Critics of the proposal say it has led to a surge in outdoor drug use and homelessness in the city. according to to the New York Times. (“Feel like a prisoner in the house”: Blue City residents stay away from homeless encampment after being threatened and assaulted)

“At 4 p.m., the streets can feel like dealer hubs,” Portland coffee shop owner Jennifer Mahle told the NYT.

“At least 20 to 30 people wearing ski masks, hoodies and backpacks and usually riding bicycles or scooters. There is no point in calling the police,” he added. She said she recently went for a walk around noon on a Tuesday morning and witnessed a woman performing oral sex on a man outdoors.

Drug overdoses have skyrocketed in Oregon since the measure took effect, with Portland losing nearly 3% of its population between 2020 and 2022. More than 600 people died from overdoses in Oregon in 2019, and that number surged to nearly 1,200 in 2022. according to Go to KOIN6 news.

“Portland is a paradise for homeless drug addicts,” local homeless Noah Nethers told The New York Times. Nethers is smoking meth and fentanyl with his girlfriend in a tent next to the church.

Critics of the proposal said few drug users had the option of seeking treatment, according to The New York Times. A majority of Oregon voters believe Proposition 110 is bad for Oregon and drug addiction and mental illness are the root causes of homelessness, according to an April announcement, with 60% of Oregonians saying they have both. I agree with your opinion. poll Conducted by DHM Research with 500 Oregon voters.

But others disagree with this.

“People say, ‘911 doesn’t work because people don’t want treatment.’ It’s just not true,” Solara Salazar, director of the Cielo Treatment Center, told the NYT.

“I think Measure 110 needs more time,” Reverend Sarah Fisher told The New York Times.

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