Oregon is grappling with a historic fentanyl overdose crisis that has surged by a stunning 1,530% in recent years, marking the highest increase rate across the United States. According to a new report from FOX12, which draws on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the state has witnessed 1,268 fentanyl-related deaths between September 2019 and September 2023.

This dramatic rise in fatalities has coincided with the 2020 enactment of Measure 110, Oregon’s drug decriminalization law. The law’s aftermath has led many Oregonians to question its efficacy, as the state observes a significant spike in overdose deaths. Oklahoma follows Oregon with the second-largest percentage increase in fentanyl-related deaths, projecting a total of 717 fatalities for 2023, a stark rise from 67 deaths five years prior. Conversely, states along the East Coast have experienced some of the lowest increases in fentanyl overdose rates.

In response to the escalating crisis, Oregon’s Democratic leaders, including Governor Tina Kotek, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, declared a 90-day state of emergency in Portland in early February. The declaration underscores the urgent need for action to address the fentanyl epidemic that has extended beyond urban centers to rural areas of the state.

State Representative Lucetta Elmer, representing a district south of Portland, voiced the concerns of local leaders in rural Oregon, emphasizing the widespread nature of the problem. “We have a crisis on our hands, and that’s easy to see,” Elmer stated, highlighting the visible consequences of the drug crisis, including rampant drug use, homelessness, and littering, which pose safety and health risks to communities.

“We have drugs that are just rampant, and we’re seeing public drug use daily. Extreme homelessness and garbage everywhere. It’s unsafe, and it’s unsightly, but it’s also heartbreaking because, literally, our fellow citizens are dying.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)