It’s been over three years since Portland passed the now infamous Measure 110 on Nov. 3, 2020. Measure 110 gained popularity with what started as the potential to end the criminalization of drug possession in Oregon.
The positive effects of the measure have yet to be fully realized because “expanding services or starting new services takes time to scale up, and awareness of new programs takes time to build,” stated KGW News, citing an audit done by the state of Oregon.
Despite its slow start, the measure does more good than bad because criminalizing people doesn’t solve the problem of drug use. The harm criminalization causes creates an additional barrier to treatment and resources those struggling need most.
The attitude that substance users are criminals is part of the cycle of morally institutionalizing them. Criminalization furthers a stigma that drug use is always dangerous and those who use drugs are not to be trusted by the public.
This leads to a situation where individuals who require assistance cannot seek it due to ostracization.
Measure 110 had the potential to challenge this stigma by encouraging involvement in recovery programs. This was intended to lead to “expanding access to much needed (and chronically underfunded) addiction services in the state,” stated the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA).
The potential benefits of this would not only help substance users access needed resources but also reduce the stigma that surrounds the need for help. If more substance users don’t have the shame and guilt about being misrepresented as dangerous criminals, the stress of the stigma could improve conditions.
Moreover, it might even encourage accessing resources for their addiction. On the other hand, if we reinforce the stigma by locking them up, this doesn’t get them the help they need to function within society.
Treating substance users as criminals does more than make them turn away from treatment. Research conducted by Human Rights Watch—an organization dedicated to protecting the rights of people in over 100 countries—highlights that the enforcement of drug possession laws inflicts significant and unjustifiable harm on individuals and communities nationwide.
In addition, the consequences of criminalization include family separation, barriers to job opportunities, exclusion from welfare assistance, public housing and voting, along with enduring discrimination and stigma throughout a person’s lifetime.
This is unfair to substance users because they need to be treated as human beings and provided support to help them receive proper treatment and ensure they don’t have to turn to the use of harmful artificial chemicals to get through their day.
This is why Measure 110 needs more time to start working. It has recently begun to give substance users much-needed help.
“From the beginning of 2022 to late 2023… the number of active peers in Oregon have doubled from 1,400 to 2,800,” KGW News stated, citing the same audit conducted by the state of Oregon. “They helped connect clients with basic needs, such as food, clothing and transportation, providers reported; helping get clients to recovery meetings and doctor’s appointments; making connections with housing and other treatment services.”
If we lock people up, we are only adding to the problems which create a reliance on substances. If we want to give people another chance, we need to allow them to seek treatment without cruel punishment.
Access to treatment for those in need is often limited, and criminalization pushes individuals who use drugs into the shadows, reducing the likelihood of receiving care. This increases the risk of engaging in unsafe practices, making them vulnerable to diseases and overdoses.
Hopefully, Measure 110 can change the tides of how we approach the subject of addiction and drug use, which is safer for those going through it and can be beneficial to everyone long term.