{"id":2024346,"date":"2023-09-07T08:20:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-07T12:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/portland-city-council-votes-to-ban-use-of-fentanyl-heroin-in-public\/"},"modified":"2023-09-07T08:21:22","modified_gmt":"2023-09-07T12:21:22","slug":"portland-city-council-votes-to-ban-use-of-fentanyl-heroin-in-public","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/portland-city-council-votes-to-ban-use-of-fentanyl-heroin-in-public\/","title":{"rendered":"Portland City Council Bans Public Use of Fentanyl and Heroin"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fportland-city-council-votes-to-ban-use-of-fentanyl-heroin-in-public%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2024346&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>Portland City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 6 to ban substances such\u200c as \u2064fentanyl and heroin from\u2062 being used in public amid an ongoing \u200dopioid and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-governor-encourages-people-to-call-police-on-neighbors-violating-covid-orders\/\" title=\"Oregon Governor Encourages People To Call Police On Neighbors Violating COVID Orders\">public health crisis<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>City Council officials approved the emergency ordinance\u2014which is supported by Democratic Mayor \u200bTed Wheeler and the city commissioner for public safety, Rene Gonzalez\u2014in a 5\u20130 vote.<\/p>\n<p>Known as measure 191445,\u200d the\u2062 ordinance updates Portland\u2019s Public\u2062 Order and Police Code to include a ban on the consumption of controlled substances including fentanyl, \u2063cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in public\u200b places, \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/portland-city-council-votes-to-ban-use-of-fentanyl-heroin-in-public\/\" title=\"Portland City Council Bans Public Use of Fentanyl and Heroin\">citing \u2062public health risks owing<\/a> to exposure to \u2063fumes\u2064 and contaminated paraphernalia, and rising drug overdoses, among other\u2064 issues.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/synthetic-opioid-10-times-more-dangerous-than-fentanyl-linked-to-overdose-deaths-5483430\">Synthetic Opioid 10 Times More Dangerous Than\u200c Fentanyl Linked to Overdose \u2064Deaths<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-comp-caption\">8\/30\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/americas-new-opioid-crisis-5456517\">America&#8217;s New Opioid Crisis<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-comp-caption\">8\/14\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Portland already prohibits the consumption of alcohol in public\u200d places.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The City of\u2063 Portland recognizes the importance of a health-centered approach in addressing substance use \u2064disorders, acknowledging \u2064alcoholism \u2062and drug addiction as diseases,&#8221; the ordinance states. &#8220;The opioid epidemic, fueled by \u200bsubstances including Oxycontin, fentanyl, and synthetic fentanyl, has led to a rapid increase in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/san-francisco-reverses-course-on-defund-the-police\/\" title=\"San Francisco Reverses Course on Defund the Police\">accidental drug overdose deaths<\/a>, necessitating coordinated efforts to restore public health and safety.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The measure notes the city \u2062of Portland and the state of Oregon have witnessed a &#8220;significant increase in\u200b fentanyl-related deaths, and \u200dthe escalating trend \u200dof overdose deaths underscores the \u2062urgent need for\u2063 regulatory measures.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Bags containing approximately 58,000 \u200bfentanyl pills were \u200dseized in Multnomah\u2064 County, Oregon, on\u2063 July 25,\u200d 2023. (Courtesy of Multnomah County Sheriff&#8217;s \u2062Office)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>&#8216;Public Health Crisis&#8217; Unfolding<\/h2>\n<p>The ordinance is set to go into effect immediately, however, that will not actually be the case \u200cas Oregon law currently forbids cities and other municipalities from regulating public drug consumption.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>That means that the new ordinance will go into effect only once the Oregon\u200d Legislature changes or suspends that statute or the courts allow cities to ban public consumption of controlled substances.<\/p>\n<p>Once in effect though, the ordinance means those \u200cconvicted of violating the ban could receive a fine of up to $500\u2062 or up to six months in prison.<\/p>\n<p>The ordinance\u200b also notes that Portland officials acknowledge\u2062 the \u200bneed to &#8220;provide adequate\u2062 treatment and sobering resources to individuals affected by addiction.&#8221; It states \u200bthere is a need to &#8220;expand sobering facilities and\u200d treatment resources to address the\u200c increased demand of addiction cases.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to the \u200bmeasure, the city plans to collaborate with Multnomah County to secure \u200bfunding \u2063and resources for addressing these &#8220;addiction-related challenges.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Wednesday&#8217;s newly\u200c passed order \u200cwill not alter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/oregon-voters-approve-ballot-measure-to-decriminalize-hard-drugs-3565666\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ballot measure 110<\/a>, which\u200b was passed in 2020\u2064 after Portland residents voted to decriminalize possession of small amounts\u2062 of hard drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>&#8216;Take \u200dBack Our Streets&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>Prior\u2064 to Wednesday&#8217;s unanimous vote, Mr. Wheeler said Portland was\u200b in dire need of \u2062a systemic change amid a &#8220;public health crisis&#8221; unfolding on \u200dthe\u2062 streets.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Speaking Wednesday, the mayor told lawmakers, &#8220;Just \u200bby virtue of illustrating how important this issue is, the last time I saw somebody consuming what I believe \u2063to be fentanyl publicly on our streets was less than five minutes ago, three blocks from city hall,&#8221; NBC affiliate KGW <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kgw.com\/article\/news\/politics\/portland-city-council-public-drug-use-ban-ordinance-passes\/283-2213d077-0b77-4c0e-a9a8-1302016f25ad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mr. Gonzalez also said the ordinance was desperately needed to allow residents to &#8220;take back our streets&#8221; while sending \u2062a clear \u2064message that \u2063people shouldn&#8217;t come to Portland just to use \u200bhard drugs.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Portland \u2063needs families, businesses, and cultural organizations to come\u2062 and thrive here. What we \u200cdo not need is hard drug use \u200bon our streets.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Sept. 6, Portland City Council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance, measure 191445, to prohibit the public use of substances like fentanyl and heroin. This decision comes as the city faces a severe opioid and public health crisis. Supported by Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, the measure was approved with a 5-0 vote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":2024347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2024346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2024346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2024346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2024346\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2024347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2024346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2024346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2024346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}