Two weeks after Portland declared a state of emergency to address the city’s fentanyl crisis, Oregon is reconsidering its 2020 decision to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs.

Under bouts of public pressure to reverse Measure 110 amid a surge of opioid-related overdose deaths and crime, state lawmakers are gearing up to vote on re-criminalization.

Rather than arresting drug users, police — under Measure 110 — must issue US$100 citations along with the number for an addiction treatment hotline. While the hotline will help users dismiss the citation, they will face no legal ramifications if they take no action. Currently, only four per cent of people served with citations call the hotline.

To combat the opioid crisis, Democrats are pushing to make small-scale drug possession a low-level misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail — with the opportunity to seek treatment instead of serving time. Many, however, disagree with the motion, suggesting it wouldn’t help drug users fight their habits.

Between 2019 and 2020, overdose fatalities increased in Oregon by 33 per cent. In 2021, that statistic increased 44 per cent, and another 44 per cent the following year. A study from the University of Toronto found a connection between these upticks and Measure 110 being in place.

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