On Jan. 30, 2024, a 90-day state of emergency was declared in downtown Portland due to the growing fentanyl crisis. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that’s highly addictive and used to treat severe pain. It’s 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the CDC. Even miniscule doses can be dangerous.
Oregon decriminalized the majority of drugs through Measure 110 in 2020, which at the time felt like a step in the right direction. However, this measure has faced a lot of criticism and state officials are beginning to rethink it as overdoses are on the rise. Overdoses on synthetic opioids in Multnomah County have increased 533% between 2018 and 2022, with the total deaths in 2022 being 956. Though, this rise may not be a fault of Measure 110.
The goal of Measure 110, also known as the “Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act,” was to help drug users by creating better access to healthcare and rehabilitation, rather than placing them in jail or facing fines. The major problem with Measure 110 is the lack of drug resources that were supposed to follow. Britni Locke, a social worker at Ida B. Wells High School says, “The law without the resources that were supposed to come is sort of meaningless.” While drug addiction is a very complex issue, it’s not a far stretch to attribute part of the rise to a lack of treatment. Locke goes on to say, “regardless [of] whether Measure 110 exists or doesn’t, we need more drug and alcohol treatment for people.”
The main cause of fentanyl overdoses is not people using fentanyl itself, but the issue of other drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin being laced with fentanyl due to how cheap it is. This means that fentanyl was mixed with another drug and made to look like the original drug. Since fentanyl is so strong, this is extremely dangerous and is a major cause of overdosing.
While abstinence from drugs is always the safest, it’s not always realistic for everyone. Some other safety measures to take are using test strips to detect if a drug is laced with fentanyl and carrying Naloxone, also known as Narcan. Naloxone is a medication that is used to treat opioid overdose and rapidly reverses its effects. It can be found at most pharmacies. Multnomah County offers free test strips and Naloxone in their overdose rescue kits and much more. Information on services and where to get them can be found on the Multnomah County website.
Locke says, “While fentanyl test strips can be helpful, I do think they give people a false sense of security.” Locke explains that if a substance is laced with fentanyl, which it’s best to assume it is, then it won’t be evenly distributed and can test negative when the rest of it does contain fentanyl. “I would say carry Narcan if you have friends that are struggling with substance use, and connect them with trusted adults that they can talk to about it,” she says.
On Mondays, there is a drug and alcohol counselor at IBW named Stephanie Burke. She is a great resource to turn to in addition to Locke if you or someone you know is struggling with drug use. Both are completely confidential and are trained to help people recover.
