Unveiling the Dark Secrets of Rose City — The City Where Every Drug Is Legal — The Opioid Crisis
The Blooming Rose
Ever since the establishment of the beautiful City of Roses (Portland) back in 1851, it has always been recognized as one of the most breath-taking and vibrant cities throughout the entirety of the United States. Well-known for its luscious green environment, energetic culture, sparkling scenery, and unique artistic approach, Portland may seem like a glorious environment to be immersed in. But what truly lies beyond this facade of a surface may discourage you from every stepping foot into this city.
History of Drug Epidemic America
Until only around 30 years ago, all was well for Portland regarding the drug epidemic. However during the late 1990s and early 2000s, a major revolution regarding drugs took place in the United States due to the unprecedented rise of pharmaceutical companies which aggressively marketed opioid drugs to the public. The surge of these organizations during this era are widely regarded as the prominent force which drove America into the drug epidemic we know today. Many people blame the crisis on Purdue Pharma, a company founded by the infamous Sackler family, which created a “game-changing” drug called OxyContin, “a safe and effective solution for chronic pain”. After OxyContin was officially approved by the FDA in 1995, they began to deploy underhanded marketing techniques such as downplaying the negative side effects of OxyContin, corrupting health care professionals to say good things about their company, and paying off doctors to over prescribe their drugs in the pursuit of maximizing profits through unethical means. By exploiting these strategies, many civilians got heavily addicted to opioids and the distribution of OxyContin illegally made its way into the underground world. This drug repeatedly ended up in the wrong hands and got heavily abused, generating billions of dollars in profits for Purdue. Even after this company ceased operations in 2010, the damage they have done to American society was irreversible.
The Oregon Drug Crisis
When OxyContin was discontinued, it gave rise to other opioid drugs including heroin, methamphetamines, cocaine, morphine, fentanyl, and other highly addictive drugs. The withdrawal symptoms were far too powerful for addicts to overcome, so they needed to feel the high by any means possible. Consequently, illicit drug trafficking prospered in Oregon as there was an overwhelming demand for opioid drugs during this time period. At the heart of Oregon, Portland became the largest drug market in the state. Riddled with Mexican drug trafficking organizations and street gang vendors, drugs were easy to get your hands on. They were relatively cheap and available for purchase anywhere throughout the city. With the escalation of other factors such as mental health issues, poverty, and homelessness in Portland, the drug crisis got out of control. Not enough was being done to address this major issue. The city is not providing enough treatment services for those in need and law enforcement is prioritizing the arrests of addicts rather than the prevention, treatment, and harm reduction of the drug epidemic.
Decriminalization of All Drugs (Act 110)
In hopes of addressing the drug crisis the state of Oregon passed measure 110, an act which decriminalizes the small possession of illicit drugs for personal use and increased funding for drug recovery services. A grand total of approximately 58% of Oregon inhabitants voted in favor of this idea. With this new act, Oregon wished to address the drug epidemic as a public health matter rather than a criminal matter in order to change the stigma associated with the drug crisis. They wanted to make addicts feel like they are humans like the rest of us with minor problems that just need to be fixed. The state passed the law to show their change in approach from enforcing punitive measures to now encouraging addicts to seek treatment and rehabilitation services.
All Hell Breaks Loose
Around 2 years after Act 110 has passed and little to nothing has changed regarding the advancement of the drug epidemic. Oregon has spent a massive sum of 302 million USD to finance treatment services, but only 1% (136 people) of those who are eligible for these programs are actively participating in rehab. Not only has nothing improved, the crisis is in fact getting worse. The year directly after Oregon passed Act 110, drug overdose deaths have increased substantially by 39.4%. In addition, homicide rates have reached an all time high. Portland, the biggest city in Oregon, reported a record of 90 murders in the year 2021 alone. Overall, crime has definitely increased in Oregon despite decriminalizing the usage of illicit drugs which were a driving force in crime rates in preceding years.
A Live Look At The Decaying Rose City
When we look into the urban streets of Portland today, we can witness the devastating side effects of Act 110. One can even compare Rose City to a city without laws, where anything is prohibited. No matter where you wander, syringes, drugs, capsules, injectable fluids, and powers are scattered all across the terrain endlessly. Everywhere you look, individuals of all ages, even as young as 16 can be seen out on the streets, homeless. The only thing keeping them alive is the blinding euphoria produced by abusing drugs. Many people seem to be completely out of it, abnormal aggression and violent behavior are to be expected. The miserable aura produced by those suffering may even be depressing. All around the city, crimes are breaking loose uncontrollably, with no end in sight. Arson, assault, lootings, and murders are some of the horrors you might be unfortunate enough to see out there. The City of Roses is no longer a beautiful and flourishing city like it used to be, but a dark battlefield.
Sources:
https://www.cato.org/blog/oregons-drug-decriminalization-needs-go-further
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/05/30/oregon-worsening-drug-crisis-fentanyl-overdoses/
https://www.rti.org/impact/oregon-drug-decriminalization
https://apnews.com/article/health-oregon-drug-addiction-treatment-government-and-politics
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/measure-110-psu-study-cops-law-enforcement-failure/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/what-led-to-the-opioid-crisis-and-how-to-fix-it
https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-heroin-crisis
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/oregon-decriminalization-drugs-lessons-1.6739257
