Oregon continues to pump $130,000 a month to an out-of-state nonprofit to run a hotline that barely rings.

So far this year, the hotline established under Oregon’s drug decriminalization law has received just 73 calls from people with Measure 110 citations, translating into about $10,700 per call, according to the latest data from the Oregon Health Authority.

Measure 110 was approved by voters in 2020 and gutted by the Legislature this year.

Intended as a gateway to substance use screenings and treatment referrals for people cited by police for low-level drug possession, the hotline service failed to live up to its promise.

It now exists mostly as a relic of Oregon’s short-lived experiment with drug decriminalization.

The health authority last year contracted with a Boston-based nonprofit, Health Resources in Action, to operate the line, agreeing to pay a total of $2.7 million. That includes startup costs and $130,000 monthly payments over the 18-month agreement.

Health Resources in Action’s latest quarterly report shows hotline staff are fielding a dwindling number of calls from people cited by police.

In the first three months of the year, 49 people with Measure 110 citations called. The number dropped to 24 from April to June.

The Measure 110 hotline has received 563 calls overall since the nonprofit took over the service, but the vast majority were more general calls, including from people accused of driving while impaired and others who sought information on behalf of loved ones coping with addiction.

For context, $130,000 could cover the cost of withdrawal management, known as detox, for about 45 people, residential treatment for seven people for a 60-day stay or a year’s worth of buprenorphine for 18 people, according to Oregon Health Plan rates. Buprenorphine is a medication used to treat opioid use disorder, including people who are addicted to fentanyl.

Under Measure 110, people cited for drug possession were given the option of paying a $100 fine or calling the helpline for a substance use screening to determine the type of services they need in exchange for waiving their citation.

Yet police were slow to embrace the citations and people who were cited generally ignored them. The hotline never took off.

Health Resources in Action developed a website to promote the service, calling it the “M110 Oregon Hopeline” and noting that “exciting changes are underway, including a new name and look!”

“Stay tuned for our upcoming rebranding as we enhance our services,” the site says.

Chris Bouneff, executive director of the Oregon chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said the hotline started out with the idea that a low-barrier entry point to treatment services would “generate a flood of phone calls.”

“Well, it hasn’t,” he said. “It won’t, and so like any business, somebody should recognize this was a failure.”

The citations are on their way to obsolescence. The Legislature this year passed House Bill 4002, making minor drug possession a misdemeanor crime. Lawmakers urged counties to develop programs to route people away from the legal system and toward treatment.

Lawmakers didn’t incorporate the hotline into the new law — but they did not change the requirement that the state operate the phone line.

The contract with the New England organization allows the state to pull out of the arrangement.

Oregon Health Authority spokesperson Amber Shoebridge said an outside contractor is the “most appropriate operator” for the line and that the state lacks the capacity to staff it round-the-clock with peers — trained and certified staff in long-term recovery — as the law requires.

State Sen. Kate Lieber, who was instrumental in drafting House Bill 4002, said in a statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive that the Legislature needs to take up the future of the hotline when it convenes next year.

“Whether that’s changing the purpose or eliminating it remains to be seen, but Oregonians need that money to go towards a program that works,” said Lieber.

The expanded Big Ten will provide several matchups between powerhouse programs in college football this season, and one of the most highly anticipated will be Oregon at Michigan on Nov. 2 in the Big House.

As the reigning national champions, the Wolverines drew a lot of respect from Oregon head coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks’ three player representatives at Big Ten Media Days this week.

“Yeah, obviously, a phenomenal team,” Lanning said of Michigan. “There’s a reason they were able to win so many games last year, and they’ve done a great job building a program there. It’s got a storied history. It should be one that we’re really pumped to be a part of.”

Oregon quarteback Dillon Gabriel, who’s entering his sixth season of eligibility after previous stops at UCF and Oklahoma, has played in a lot of big game and big environments during his college career, including at the Cotton Bowl in the Red River Shootout against Texas last year. Gabriel says “it’s been a bunch of fun” playing in games like that, and he’s looking forward to another bigtime matchup against Michigan.

“Great program, historic,” Gabriel said of the Wolverines. “Obviously, what they did last year was extremely impressive. Just the way they’ve played and consistently doing it. As a guy who’s in college football, you respect it and realize how hard it is to do.”

Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa respects the attitude and mentality that Michigan plays with, and looks forward to the challenge of facing the reigning national champions in Ann Arbor.

“Making that trip is going to be eye-opening, it’s going to be great,” Bassa said. “And I know we play them late in the season, it might be a little bit cold, so we better be — I know we’re going to be ready to buckle up.

“I think [Jim] Harbaugh did a great job last year and Coach [Sherrone] Moore this year is doing a great job coaching that team and leading that team. I know they’re a team that’s built on steak and potatoes. Like, they’re going to tell you that they’re going to run the ball, and their going to run the ball on offense. They might throw the ball here and there, but their mentality is going to be mano a mano, we’re better than you, we want to run the ball, right? So, we’ve just got to buckle up and be ready for that. I know they’re a team built on grit and toughness, so I’m ready to face them.”

Finally, Oregon tight end Terrence Ferguson wants to play against the best players and best teams in the country, and that’s what excites him about matching up with the Wolverines. He’s also looking forward to his first game at Michigan Stadium.

“It has a lot of history,” Ferguson said. “The Big House is, obviously, huge. It holds a lot of people, it holds a lot of history. Obviously, they’re the reigning champs and that puts a target on their back for everyone. But, I’m just excited to play against them. They have a lot of talented players on defense and offense. So, really just being able to go compete against the best players is what I look forward to. And it’s a cool place to play, so I’m excited.”

While they won’t be on the field at the same time, Ferguson is also looking forward to competing against Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, not only in that game but throughout the season.

“He’s a great player,” Ferguson said of Loveland. “I love his game. He’s a super athletic guy. I think he tracks the ball well, he plays fast. I like him and he’s a great player. I have a lot of respect for that guy.”

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Oregon football coach Dan Lanning has built a team ready to challenge some of the biggest, most physical college football teams in the country. While Heisman Trophy favorite, quarterback Dillon Gabriel, has grabbed a lion’s share of media attention in this story, senior tight end Terrance Ferguson stands ready to make some noise this fall as Oregon chases a Big Ten championship and a berth in the newly expanded College Football Playoffs.

Ferguson joined linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, and quarterback Gabriel on Big Ten Media day to answer questions about the Ducks, his decision to return to Oregon rather than leave for the NFL and his relationship with Gabriel.

The first question simply asked Ferguson about the kind of ball Gabriel throws. While he answered that “it’s a great ball,” Ferguson quickly changed the topic.

“(Gabriel) cares about everybody. I think that’s what makes him a good guy off the field.”

As to Ferguson’s situation, he acknowledged that he had to decide whether to return to Oregon for another year or make himself eligible for the NFL draft.

“I feel blessed to have had the decision to make,” said Ferguson. “(What) makes it easy to come back is when there are guys like this (Gabriel and Bassa) and all the transfers and people we have returning, like Jeff. We all have the same goal; we all want to win a national championship.”

While Ferguson is clearly team motivated, he is likely to take on a bigger role in this explosive Ducks’ offense. Offensive coordinator Will Stein has raved about the 6-5, 255-pound Ferguson, with the goal to get him the ball more this fall and improve on his 42 receptions, 414 yards and six touchdowns from last season.

Additionally, Ferguson has quietly amassed some rather amazing statistics and stands to challenge the records set by previous Ducks’ tight ends. Consider that he enters 2024 with 91 career receptions, just 33 away from the program record of 124 (Ed Dickson). His 13 touchdowns are just two behind Josh Wilcox record of 15. Ferguson’s 42 receptions last year tied for second-most by a UO tight end in single-season history, just one back of the single-season record of 43, held by Dickson.

What also bodes well for Oregon’s offense is that Ferguson leads a mostly young, but talented tight end room. Senior Patrick Herbert (brother of former Duck star and fan favorite, Justin Herbert will also provide leadership and experience as he helps mentor players like sophomore Kenyon Sadiq who represents the fast-developing undergraduates. The abilities of these athletes in both the passing and running game make them instrumental to the Ducks’ success in 2024.