Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Hard Hit by the US Opioid Crisis, Oregon Reconsiders Decriminalization
Reuters ^ | February 18, 2024 | Deborah Bloom

Posted on 02/21/2024 12:20:18 PM PST by nickcarraway

It's a common sight on the streets of downtown Portland, Oregon: people in front of stores, trendy restaurants and hotels, on sidewalks, corners, and benches, crouched over torch lighters held up to sheets of tinfoil or meth pipes.

Some drape blankets over their heads, or duck behind concrete barriers. Others don’t try to hide. "All summer long, we were right out in the open. You didn't have to be paranoid anymore, you didn't have to be worried about the cops," said John Hood, a 61-year-old drug addict living on the streets of Oregon’s most populous city.

Hood spoke to Reuters on a downtown Portland corner, across from where he had just smoked fentanyl and methamphetamine outside an old bus station-turned homeless shelter.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Oregon
KEYWORDS: alejandromayorkas; ccp; china; crime; decriminilzation; drugs; opiod; oregon; portland
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last

1 posted on 02/21/2024 12:20:18 PM PST by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Gonna try and put the horse back in the barn?


2 posted on 02/21/2024 12:21:46 PM PST by mykroar ("It's Not the Nature of the Evidence; It's the Seriousness of the Charge." - El Rushbo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

That’s what we call the “ Laboratories of democracy” . Obviously it didn’t work out as voters expected but it was a nice experiment, hopefully other states learn the lesson


3 posted on 02/21/2024 12:23:53 PM PST by escapefromboston (Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

In before legalizing all drugs stop abuse.


4 posted on 02/21/2024 12:24:49 PM PST by momincombatboots (BQEphesians 6... who you are really at war with. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mykroar

My company deals with several sawmills in OR. It is bad enough when you have to randomly test your employees for marijuana.
Imagine having a sawmill employee come into the mill after shooting heroine or snorting coke.


5 posted on 02/21/2024 12:24:52 PM PST by woodbutcher1963
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

It’s sort of like build a ball field and they will come.

Decriminalized drugs and they will come. So the local populace might be completely negligent of their health and well-being but a lot of people showed up because they could. Sort of the same thing happened to Denver when Colorotflmao legalized MJ. Now they have Stoners on everything.


6 posted on 02/21/2024 12:27:23 PM PST by Clutch Martin ("The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right." )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

What these dummies don’t understand is that criminalization is a way to get junkies into forced treatment. I don’t think anyone - liberal or conservative - wants to just put junkies in jail and house them for years. Nor is a short sentence - 90 days, 6 months - effective. What is effective is forced rehab followed by drug court and successive penalties if they fail to comply. Decriminalization makes the process voluntary, and no junkie is going to go through the process voluntarily.


7 posted on 02/21/2024 12:33:54 PM PST by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: momincombatboots

What?


8 posted on 02/21/2024 12:41:26 PM PST by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: woodbutcher1963

Is that legal? In CA you can’t test employees for cannabis. I’m not sure about other drugs.


9 posted on 02/21/2024 12:42:15 PM PST by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Opinionated Blowhard

I think there’s a difference between the users and the sellers.


10 posted on 02/21/2024 12:43:28 PM PST by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: woodbutcher1963

Some of those big sawmills use equipment that can be dangerous, even when not stoned or high, yes?


11 posted on 02/21/2024 12:44:51 PM PST by desertsolitaire
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Opinionated Blowhard

There is no effective cure or rehab for opioid addiction. True on occasion some are able to “stay clean” for some time. However the vast majority lead degraded drugged lives and statistically die far younger than aged matched non users in the population. These drugs alter brain chemistry and things don’t return to “normal” even during periods of “sobriety”. Sad when a teen starts down this road after receiving pain meds after an accident or dental surgery .


12 posted on 02/21/2024 12:48:59 PM PST by allendale
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Opinionated Blowhard

Yep.


13 posted on 02/21/2024 12:58:01 PM PST by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

The usual results of libtardism run amok. Complete catastrophe


14 posted on 02/21/2024 12:58:35 PM PST by NWFree (Sigma male 🤪)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: allendale
There is no effective cure or rehab for opioid addiction. True on occasion some are able to “stay clean” for some time. However the vast majority lead degraded drugged lives and statistically die far younger than aged matched non users in the population.

I agree that it's difficult for them, when not impossible. The user has to really want to quit, treatment has to be available, and a change of, ahem, associates is a good thing. When I read of Hollywood show people or musicians going clean, I'm skeptical.

These drugs alter brain chemistry and things don’t return to “normal” even during periods of “sobriety”. Sad when a teen starts down this road after receiving pain meds after an accident or dental surgery .

Or when their "friends" talk them in trying. Peer pressure is a major force in our younger citizens.

15 posted on 02/21/2024 1:02:44 PM PST by Seaplaner (Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never...in nothing, great or small...Winston ChurchIill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: woodbutcher1963

It ain’t your Daddy’s heroin and coke.

Fentanyl and Meth are MUCH stronger!


16 posted on 02/21/2024 1:09:28 PM PST by Uncle Miltie (Objective: Permanently break the will of the population to ever wage war again.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

A BIG difference!


17 posted on 02/21/2024 1:11:04 PM PST by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: NWFree

Indeed.


18 posted on 02/21/2024 1:11:14 PM PST by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Old: Turn on, tune in, drop out-— Dr.Timothy Leary

New: Do some drugs, commit some crimes, lie around, repeat tomorrow.


19 posted on 02/21/2024 1:15:40 PM PST by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Seaplaner; allendale

What about Ozempic? It seems to stop any kind of addiction.


20 posted on 02/21/2024 1:15:59 PM PST by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson