A cautionary tale
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed legislation this month to end her state’s disastrous experiment with decriminalizing hard drugs, rolling back a 2020 ballot initiative she previously supported after it contributed to a surge in overdose deaths, violent crime, open-air drug markets, junkies wandering through the streets of Portland with needles in their arms, and the acrid smell of burning fentanyl in the air.
The plan was to end the war on drugs by removing the criminal justice system from the process, elevating a public health approach in its place that would offer voluntary treatment without any coercion. Instead, Oregon has provided a cautionary tale of why heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine ought to remain illegal.
Oregon’s experience shows that compassion is important for addicts, but so are consequences. Responding to the social ills of drug abuse requires a mix of carrots and sticks. Just as many people with drinking problems won’t put down the bottle until they get prosecuted for driving under the influence, drug courts connect many users with help they need but might not otherwise seek.
As Oregon recalibrates, deep-pocketed groups that remain determined to legalize drugs are trying to revise history. Excuses abound: Not enough treatment options were available; covid distracted state officials; police didn’t receive proper training; the proliferation of fentanyl would have happened even if it was illegal; state officials gave up on decriminalization before it had enough time to work.
Many people didn’t seek treatment even when it was offered to them, because the architects of the law neglected how addiction alters brain chemistry. Drug addiction is that rare disease that the sufferer often does not wish to be cured from. Fentanyl and meth feel good to use in the short term; withdrawal hurts. The criminal justice system plays a vital role in applying external pressure to push addicts into detox.
Kotek says the state will continue to prioritize treatment over incarceration, “while balancing the need for accountability.” The law encourages officers and district attorneys to refer drug users to “deflection” programs that will keep arrests off their records.
Oregon’s new rules maximize compassion, even as they push addicts to seek recovery.