Readers respond: Oregon voters aren’t drug policy experts

Oregon residents, that means nicely, voted for Poll Measure 110, an experimental strategy which decriminalizes possession of small quantities of illicit medicine. It’s the solely state to take action. (“Oregon’s drug decriminalization effort sends fewer than 1% of individuals to remedy,” Sept. 25)

The quandary is that addicted individuals, by the very nature of their downside, don’t wish to search assist. When an addict in Oregon is arrested, they obtain a quotation which asks them to pay $100 or to hunt an analysis—however most ignore the quotation and solely .85% enter remedy.

Sadly, until a person faces the selection of jail or a drug remedy program, most are unlikely to take care of their habit. Within the 12 months since final April, 1,114 Oregonians have died of an overdose, a 19% improve over the earlier 12 months.

What does this inform us in regards to the efficacy of our present strategy? Moreover, what does this inform us about Oregon’s present follow of constructing legislation by way of well-liked vote? Residents sometimes haven’t accomplished the analysis enabling them to make sensible choices about advanced issues, nor ought to they be anticipated to—that’s why we now have elected a legislature.

Marilyn Sewell, Portland