https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/31/health/portland-oregon-drugs.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
Story Summary | Portland’s Deadly Drug Crisis: No Arrests, Only Tickets
Portland, Oregon, is facing a devastating drug crisis. The city has the highest rate of fentanyl overdose deaths in the country, with more than 400 fatalities in 2022.
But instead of arresting or helping the drug users, the city has adopted a policy of issuing tickets for drug possession. This means that people can inject fentanyl in broad daylight and only face a $100 fine.
The city claims that this approach is more humane and effective than criminalization, but critics say that it is enabling and ignoring the problem.
Critics say the city has also failed to provide enough treatment options or harm reduction services for its drug users, leaving them vulnerable to addiction and death.
The New York Times reports on the scenes from a city that only hands out tickets for using fentanyl.
Discover more from Your Assignment Editor
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
