Oregon
Oregon’s overdose deaths climbed in 2023 while such deaths fell overall in the U.S.
Oregon saw the second-largest increase in overdose deaths of any state in 2023, even as much of the rest of the country saw a decline, federal data show.
About one-third more people died of a drug overdose last year in Oregon compared with the previous year, federal figures show. That’s about 1,880 people dead after ingesting opioids such as fentanyl, stimulants such as methamphetamine or other drugs, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While Oregon set a record for overdose deaths in the state last year, the national numbers declined for the first time since 2018. Since that year, Oregon’s overdose deaths have grown a staggering 237% — the second-highest increase in the United States, after Alaska — compared with a 58% increase nationally during that time.
Why that’s happening is not entirely clear.
Nearly 107,700 people died of an overdose in the U.S. last year, compared to about 109,400 in 2022, federal data show, an approximately 2% decline.
Oregon Health Authority released new overdose data for the state on Thursday, Dec. 12.Oregon Health Authority
Oregon wasn’t the only state to buck the national trend. Alaska saw the steepest increase in overdose deaths, with 45% more deaths last year than in 2022, according to federal data. Oregon had a 35% increase, according to federal data. Washington, Nevada and Hawaii placed third, fourth and fifth, with increases of 28%, 24% and 14%, respectively.
Nine other states and Washington, D.C., counted more overdose deaths last year than the year before, while South Dakota saw no change, and each of the remaining 35 states saw a decline. Nebraska, Indiana and Maine saw the steepest drops in overdose deaths, with 23%, 18% and 16% fewer deaths last year, respectively, than in 2022.
While full data for 2024 won’t be available for some time, the numbers federal health officials have already released paint a hopeful picture not only for the country as a whole but for Oregon as well.
During the one-year period ending in July, nearly 17% fewer people across the country died of overdoses compared to the one-year period ending July 2023, preliminary federal data show.
Only five states had more overdose deaths during the year ending in July than the prior year. Oregon is one of them, but the increase in deaths in the Beaver State was only 5%, far lower than the approximately 35% more deaths during the year ending December 2023.
The Oregon Health Authority confirmed their data also show a downward trajectory this year.
“Our very preliminary 2024 data show Oregon is seeing a similar trend in overdose decrease,” spokesperson Jonathan Modie said in an email, “but we are not sure why at this point.”
— Fedor Zarkhin is a breaking news and enterprise reporter. Do you have a story? Reach him by phone or text at 971-373-2905 or by email at fzarkhin@oregonian.com.
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The good times keep on rolling for the Oregon Ducks in the recruiting world. Dan Lanning and the Ducks scored a massive commitment from five-star quarterback Will Mencl out of Chandler, Arizona.
Oregon had been rumored to be leading the race for Mencl’s services for months, but the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per Rivals, cleared the air and committed to the Ducks on Wednesday evening. Mencl chose the Ducks over Auburn and Penn State, both of which battled hard for him down the stretch.
However, Mencl has been connected to Oregon for a long time. While he was offered last fall before breaking out in his junior season, Mencl has been a fan of the program long before he popped up on the Ducks’ recruiting radar. In a post shared by Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong, Mencl was announced as a quarterback for the Ducks when he was a kid at the 2019 NFL Draft fan experience in 2019.
Now, Mencl is ready to don the green and yellow for real and make his childhood dreams come true. The Ducks have made a point to get Mencl on campus as often as possible and as recently as last week. The continued connection between both sides is ultimately what made the decision easy for the nation’s top passer. Mencl said he told Lanning and the Oregon staff about his decision on Sunday.
“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff,” Mencl said after committing. “I feel like that continued to grow over time, especially when I first got there last spring. Being able to sit down with Coach Koa, really being an underlooked guy at that time, and kind of blowing up my junior season. And then, the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. I felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Koa Ka’ai, Oregon’s new quarterback coach, made waves earlier in the offseason after his recruiting test about ice cream flavors went viral, but that doesn’t appear to have scared Mencl off. In fact, the two have a close connection that Oregon hopes will translate to success on the field in the near future.
“My relationship with Coach Koa, I feel like that is super, super strong,” Mencl told Rivals. “I’ve had a lot of discussions with Coach Lanning about the culture there and how they’re going to continue to sustain greatness throughout the program.”
Mencl exploded onto the national recruiting scene with a massive junior season for Chandler. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. He also rushed for 741 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
The Ducks expect to have some competition for Mencl to compete with when he joins the team for the 2027 season, with Dylan Raiola and Akili Smith Jr. already on the roster and competing for a role as the backup. Oregon has gone to the transfer portal as well in recent seasons, finding success with Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore.
Oregon has recruited well at quarterback in the past, establishing an NFL pedigree that attracted Mencl. Maybe he will be the one to buck the trend and give the Ducks a true, homegrown product under center.
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‘Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,’ a Wine Enthusiast contributor said of an Oregon wine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Wine Enthusiast released a list of the top 40 sparkling wines around the world in 2026 – highlighting two bottles of bubbly from Oregon.
“While it can seem like you need a fortune to enjoy high quality sparkling wine, you honestly don’t. Excellent affordable bubbles are being produced around the world, often in places you might not expect. Each of the selections on our inaugural Top 40 Sparkling Wines list delivers personality, freshness, and celebration for under $75,” Wine Enthusiast wrote.
Wine Enthusiast divided its list into separate sparkling categories including, Champagne, Italian Bollicine, American sparkling and bottles $25 and under.
Snagging a spot on the American sparkling list: Corollary Wines in McMinnville.
Corollarly’s 2021 Momtazi Carbonic Rosé Pinot Noir scored 96 points from Wine Enthusiast.
“This is a Peter Max print of a wine, with vivid aromas and flavors to match the wine’s electric Kool-Aid color. It is filled to the brim with aromas and flavors of macerated strawberries, candied rose petals, apricots, and a bitter note similar to watermelon rind. Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,” wrote Wine Enthusiast contributor Michael Alberty.
The second Oregon winery to earn a spot on the list: Lytle-Barnett in Dundee.
Wine Enthusiast also gave Lytle-Barnett’s 2018 Brut Rosé Pinot Noir Chardonnay 96 points.
“Bubbles as persistent as an eight-year-old with a question deliver aromas of dried rose petals, macerated strawberries, and a touch of fresh hay and talc. This 70/30 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend is packed with flavors of lemon zest, Honeycrisp apple slices drizzled in caramel, and a dollop of raspberry,” Alberty wrote.
The nods to Corollary and Lytle-Barnett come as the wineries recently helped launch Method Oregon, a nonprofit made up of 50 Oregon wineries aiming to turn Oregon into a global sparkling wine destination.
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