Many Oregon voters feel deceived for voting in Measure 91 to legalize recreational use of marijuana in 2014 convinced it would eliminate or reduce criminal activities and sales of illegal drugs. To put a band-aid on the rising convictions for possession, voters passed Measure 110, the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act, on November 3, 2020. The law was designed to open up more money for treatment while decriminalizing possession of some small amounts of drugs.

Those found in possession will get a citation and could face a $100 fine. While people caught with small amounts of these drugs can complete a health assessment to avoid paying the fine by calling the Addiction Recovery Center Hotline. The vote meant law enforcement officers in Oregon could no longer arrest someone for possession of small amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, LSD, oxycodone, and other drugs.

Measure 110, required the Oregon Health Authority to establish at least one Behavioral Health Resource Network in each Oregon county. Senate Bill 755, passed in 2021, defined these county cooperative networks as BHRNs. The Oversight and Accountability Council has approved the final county, Jackson County, for drug treatment and recovery services funding. In total, the council has approved 44 BHRNs in Oregon's 36 counties, and some counties are served by more than one network.

"Oregon has, for far too long, ranked near the bottom of states in providing services to help people suffering from addiction, even while having some of the highest addiction rates,” said the council's tri-chair Ron Williams in a statement to KATU.

Measure 110 redirected millions of dollars in tax revenue from the state's legal marijuana industry to treatment. The Act’s grant program funded $264 million for BHRN addiction recovery centers. Top award went to Multnomah County for more than $58 million, more than $20 million went to Washington County, and more than $14 million to Clackamas County.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Drug treatment is a priority issue for all the governor candidates claiming they can bring Oregon from near bottom ranking.

Tina Kotek defends her time as Majority Leader, “When someone is ready to seek help for a mental health concern or substance use, that help should be easy to find and available – no matter where you live or what you can afford.” She claims to have invested nearly $500 million to expand access to mental health care, and $25 million in emergency funds to improve behavioral health services.

Did she not know that in 2019 the National Institute on Drug Abuse established clinical research centers in networks around the country to improve opioid addiction treatment and address gaps in accessing high-quality care. Each center worked with five or more communities with organizations in justice settings and service providers. Oregon was granted one of the centers.

In 2020, there were 247 treatment facilities in Oregon, and 8 percent are paid through Medicaid and Medicare. Others will be paid by private or state health insurance, federally-funded military insurance, and Indian Health Service. Other facilities provide treatment on a sliding scale.

Betsy Johnson says, “I believe the state of Oregon should declare a state of emergency to address our crisis of addiction and mental health. We need to rebuild partnerships with all of our county health departments and provide staffing and resources for both inpatient and outpatient care. We need to demand that counties provide a greater focus on short-term shelter with access to life-saving services while longer-term solutions are ramping up.”

Christine Drazan says she will “maintain and expand investments in addiction and mental health supports and services, including providing reimbursement rates that protect and expand access.” But she goes a step further and promises to work to repeal Measure 110, which decriminalized hard drugs like methamphetamine and heroin.

Now with 44 new state BHRN centers, should the state throw more tax dollars at the problem, declare an emergency, or eliminate the source?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-09-08 11:13:23

Last Update: 2022-09-08 13:49:56