Most Oregon voters ruled in favor of Measure 110 in the 2020 election, which deals with addiction, drug rehabilitation and drug charges. According to The Oregonian, a coalition has recently begun to seek to unwind certain portions of the measure.
The coalition seeks to recriminalize minor drug possession of a controlled substance—such as meth or heroin—as a misdemeanor crime. It also wants to change voluntary rehabilitation treatment to forced rehabilitation treatment using consequences involving the justice system. The coalition emphasized that it does not want to repeal the law, but rather to improve it. Repealing the measure would do more harm than good.
Initially, the idea of partially repealing a measure might seem reasonable. However, significant factors make a case against any interest in doing so. The proposal advocates for a tiered approach based on individual needs, which entails directing individuals toward diversion programs and potentially expunging convictions for those who meet eligibility criteria and successfully complete treatment.Research has shown that forced treatment is nearly always ineffective. The relapse rate for heroin and other opiates is up to 91%, according to a 2017 comparative study of alcohol and opioid dependence. Simply forcing people into treatment won’t solve the underlying problem.Along with this—as much as it can hurt to think about it—the reality is that forcing someone to do something is inhumane and wrong. Even when it comes from a place of love, grief, desperation, or when it feels like it is the only thing left to do, it is still wrong.
People cannot get better unless they want to get better. We can hate it all we want, but we must acknowledge the reality of the situation.
It is true overdoses and street-drug use have increased since 2020 and 2021, but that is also true for the entire nation. All over the United States, there has been an increase in overdoses parallel to Oregon’s. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the age-adjusted rate of deaths from drug overdoses rose 14% nationwide from 2020 to 2021.
It is also important to note what else has been happening in the country which could further impact the drug crisis. For example, data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reveals that the bottom 50% of households in the U.S. only possess 2.4% of the total household wealth.
Many people have lost their jobs due to the pandemic exacerbating the economic crisis. Moreover, according to USA Today, eviction rates have risen in many major cities post-COVID-19, leading to a surge in houselessness and poverty.
Furthermore, it has only been three years since the measure was implemented—hence, it is too soon to decide whether it should be revoked. Considering Oregon has never repealed a ballot measure in history, this requires careful decision without rushing toward a conclusion.
Regarding those who favor not changing the original measure, Tera Hurst—one of the alliance’s prominent leaders—spoke on the issue. “It’s disappointing that anyone would propose the failed policies of our past and lack of any real solutions,” Hurst said. “It would be harmful, it would be deadly and extremely expensive and it would set our state back years.”
If the measure were repealed, state funding would be required to obtain a realistic plan for drug rehabilitation centers. Most of that funding comes from taxpayers, meaning scrapping the bucket won’t be enough anymore.
Acknowledging a wide range of information is vital to making the most informed decisions for the well-being of our fellow Oregonians.