UPI, Fentanyl state of emergency declared for Portland
A state of emergency was declared Tuesday for downtown Portland, as Oregon, county and city officials attempt to tackle the ongoing fentanyl crisis.
"Our country and our state have never seen a drug this deadly and addictive, and all are grappling with how to respond," Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is between 50 and 100 times more potent than morphine, and is a main driver of the United States' ongoing opioid epidemic.
According to the Oregon Health Authority, the state experienced more opioid overdose visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers last year compared to previous years, while the Portland Police Department's Bureau of Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit saw a 75% increase in notifications of overdose deaths in 2023 over a year prior.
Last month, an annual report was published, stating that of the 123 drug overdose deaths experienced by those suffering from homelessness in Multnomah County, which is home to Portland, fentanyl was found to have contributed to 74% of them.
On Tuesday, Kotek, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler each declared a 90-day state of emergency to commit available resources into a unified response to the crisis.
"The chair, the mayor and I recognize the need to act with urgency and unity across our public health and community safety systems to make a dent in this crisis," Kotek said. "We are all in this together."
Under the declaration, a command center will be established in the center of the city where state, county and city employees will coordinate strategies and response efforts, the state said, adding that it will serve to refocus existing resources and report data on the effects of fentanyl in downtown, while identifying and responding to acute needs and issues. It will also identify specific resources needed and establish a system that will exist after the 90-day declaration elapses.
90 day will do it, huh?
I think we ought to donate as many drugs as possible to the progressives of Portland. Its the right and diverse thing to do, and we'd all benefit if they'd imitate St Floyd.
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