{"id":2190981,"date":"2024-03-02T15:32:02","date_gmt":"2024-03-02T20:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-to-reverse-decriminalization-experiment-to-crack-down-on-rising-overdose-deaths\/"},"modified":"2024-03-02T15:37:03","modified_gmt":"2024-03-02T20:37:03","slug":"oregon-to-reverse-decriminalization-experiment-to-crack-down-on-rising-overdose-deaths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-to-reverse-decriminalization-experiment-to-crack-down-on-rising-overdose-deaths\/","title":{"rendered":"Oregon to reverse decriminalization experiment in response to increasing overdose deaths"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/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%2Foregon-to-reverse-decriminalization-experiment-to-crack-down-on-rising-overdose-deaths%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=2190981&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--><h2>Oregon \u200bLawmakers Aim\u200c to Reverse \u2063Drug\u2062 Decriminalization \u200cas \u200dOverdose Deaths Soar<\/h2>\n<p>Lawmakers in Oregon are taking steps to reverse\u200b an experimental project that decriminalized the possession\u200d of all drugs, as the state grapples\u2063 with a sharp increase in fatal overdoses. \u200dThe three-year-long experimental law is \u2062now being\u2063 reconsidered, with\u2062 a\u2064 focus\u2064 on making small drug possessions, including fentanyl,\u2062 heroin, and cocaine, illegal once again. The measure\u2063 has already passed \u2064both state houses and\u200c is awaiting the signature \u200bof Gov. Tina \u200dKotek (D-OR).<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWhat we have tried to do is give law enforcement tools they need to intervene\u200b in the moment and hand [addicted people] off to the behavioral health mental world,\u201d Democratic State\u2064 Rep. Jason Kropfl told\u200d the Wall \u2064Street\u200b Journal. \u201cThe\u200b overarching goal\u2062 is how do you sometimes give a little \u200bbit of a push to treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Oregon has \u200dexperienced a staggering 1,500% surge in overdose deaths since the beginning of the \u2062COVID-19 \u2062pandemic, the highest increase in the country according to federal\u2064 data. This alarming trend coincides with the\u2062 rising rates of fentanyl \u2062overdoses across the United\u200d States.<\/p>\n<p>The original bill that allowed recreational drug use aimed \u2064to divert drug users away from incarceration\u200d and towards rehabilitation. \u2064However, lawmakers \u200cdiscovered that without consequences for drug use, individuals who had no intention of \u200bquitting would continue their drug habits.<\/p>\n<p>The call for the recriminalization of drug\u200d use comes as business owners, law\u200d enforcement officers, \u200dand state\u2063 residents express concerns about the widespread drug \u200buse in\u200b public spaces.\u2062 Similar demands\u2064 for stricter punishments \u200cfor drug use are also being made in other blue West\u2062 Coast states.<\/p>\n<p>Under \u2062the\u2062 new bill, \u2063drug users will \u2062be given \u200bthe\u2064 opportunity to\u200b enter rehab before facing potential misdemeanor charges. However, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon has voiced concerns that this option may primarily \u200dbenefit affluent white individuals.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cPeople with money, connections, or racial privilege will be most\u200c likely to get into limited treatment spaces,\u201d the statement said. \u201cBlack, brown, and low-income people will continue \u200cto be\u2063 jailed at the highest rates.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>If individuals are caught smoking or using drugs, law enforcement officers will\u2062 have the authority \u200bto \u200cconfiscate the drugs and charge the users with a misdemeanor offense that carries a maximum sentence \u200cof\u200b six months in jail.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">CLICK HERE\u2063 TO READ MORE \u200bFROM THE\u200d WASHINGTON\u2064 EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How has the \u200dimplementation of\u2063 Measure 110, which decriminalized drug possession, impacted\u200c overdose deaths in Oregon?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  L health system and \u2063the treatment system,\u201d said Rep. Tawna \u205cSanchez (D-Portland),\u200d one of the\u2064 lawmakers \u200dbehind the reversal bill. \u201cAnd so what we&#8217;re saying \u2063is, not just \u200cno, but absolutely not anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The experimental law, known as Measure\u200b 110, was passed in November 2020 and aimed to reduce drug addiction by treating it \u2064as a health issue rather than \u2064a criminal one. Under the law, individuals found in possession of \u2064small amounts of drugs would face a\u2063 citation and a $100 fine rather than criminal charges. Instead, the funds that would have been used to enforce \u200ddrug possession laws were redirected towards drug treatment programs.<\/p>\n<p>However, since the\u200b implementation of Measure 110, the\u200b state\u2063 has witnessed \u2064a \u200bsignificant surge in overdose deaths, particularly \u2063involving potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl.\u2062 Critics argue that the decriminalization policy has inadvertently contributed to the rise in drug-related deaths by removing\u200b penalties that could have deterred drug use.<\/p>\n<p>According to \u2062the Oregon Health \u200bAuthority,\u200c there was a 40%\u200c increase \u200bin overdose deaths\u2064 in 2020 compared to \u2063the previous year. This disturbing trend has continued into 2021, with overdose deaths rising a \u200bfurther 27% in \u2062the first quarter alone. The dire circumstances have prompted legislators to reevaluate \u2064the effectiveness \u200bof the decriminalization approach and\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-benefits-of-vitamin-c-in-cancer-treatment\/\" title=\"Vitamin C's Benefits in Cancer Treatment\">seek alternative strategies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2063proposed reversal bill, HB 3071, seeks\u200b to revert to the previous \u200ccriminalization laws for the \u200bpossession of small amounts of\u200c drugs. If it becomes law, individuals found in possession\u2061 of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and other drugs in small quantities could face criminal\u2063 charges and potential jail time. The \u200cbill aims to provide \u2064law enforcement with the necessary tools \u200dto intervene at the moment of drug possession and redirect individuals towards behavioral and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dean-phillips-launches-2024-white-house-bid-in-challenge-to-biden\/\" title=\"Dean Phillips challenges Biden with 2024 White House bid.\">addiction treatment programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Proponents\u200c of the reversal argue that the change is \u200durgently \u200cneeded to address the escalating overdose crisis and to \u2064ensure that addicted individuals receive the help \u2062they need.\u200b They\u200d emphasize the importance of redirecting resources towards \u200ctreatment options \u2062rather than relying solely \u2062on decriminalization.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents, however, contend that reverting to criminalization is not the solution and \u2064could exacerbate the problem. They argue that \u2062the focus should be on expanding \u2063access to quality addiction treatment services and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/it-fuels-out-of-control-crime-republican-lepage-slams-opponent-for-supporting-crack-pipe-distribution\/\" title=\"\u2018It Fuels Out-Of-Control Crime\u2019: Republican LePage Slams Opponent for Supporting Crack Pipe Distribution\">harm reduction initiatives<\/a> rather than punitive measures.<\/p>\n<p>Governor Tina \u200dKotek\u2062 has yet to sign the reversal bill\u2064 into\u200d law, and the decision is eagerly awaited by both advocates and critics. Regardless of the outcome, the need\u200c to address the soaring overdose deaths in Oregon is clear. Whether through a revised decriminalization approach, increased treatment options, or a \u2063combination of both, finding effective strategies to tackle the \u200ccomplex issue of drug addiction \u2064remains a pressing \u200cpriority for lawmakers and advocates alike.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oregon lawmakers are seeking to overturn a three-year experimental project that decriminalized drug possession, as fatal overdose rates surge. They now aim to criminalize small drug possession, including fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, due to the concerning increase in drug-related deaths in the state<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2643,"featured_media":2190982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP24062114304706.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2190981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP24062114304706.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2190981","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\/2643"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2190981"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2190981\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2190982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2190981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2190981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2190981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}