> Oregon has seen a 1,500% rise in overdose deaths since the pandemic started, the steepest increase in the country, according to recent federal data. In 2022,

> Oregon has seen a 1,500% rise in overdose deaths since the pandemic started, the steepest increase in the country, according to recent federal data. In 2022, almost 1,000 people in the state died from opiate overdoses. But research has so far showed no correlation between the rise in overdoses and decriminalization. The war on drugs has been proven to be a failure for decades over and over again. Using the criminal justice system to address what is fundamentally a public health problem is both expensive and ineffective. It's remarkable how wedded lawmakers are to this ideology despite all the evidence to the contrary. Not only that, but Measure 110 wasn't even fully rolled out in the first place. It's clear that this is move is ideological. > Allen also acknowledged that, nearly two years after Measure 110 passed, the availability of addiction treatment, including residential treatment beds and medication-assisted treatment for people with opioid use disorder, is “inconsistent” across Oregon’s counties. https://www.opb.org/article/2022/09/20/oregon-measure-110-drug-decriminalization-substance-abuse-treatment/ https://www.opb.org/article/2022/09/20/oregon-measure-110-dr...