Oregon Recriminalizes Drugs: Critics Warn Of Widening Public Health Gaps Amid The Measure’s Rollback
On September 1, Oregon officially reinstalled criminal penalties for drug possession under House Bill 4002, ending a nearly four-year experiment with drug decriminalization. This shift, which ironically comes just a day after International Overdose Awareness Day, is drawing sharp criticism from advocacy groups, who argue that the new law will exacerbate the very issues it was meant to solve.
Rollback Of Ballot Measure 110: A Pivot From Public Health To Punishment
House Bill 4002, signed by Governor Tina Kotek (D) on April 1, reintroduces misdemeanor charges for possessing small amounts of drugs, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, effectively rolling back the key provisions of ballot Measure 110, which Oregon voters passed in 2020. Measure 110 sought to address problematic drug use as a public health issue, redirecting individuals towards treatment rather than incarceration. However, criticisms of the measure’s implementation and its perceived failure to reduce overdose deaths led lawmakers to pivot back to a more punitive approach.
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