Oregon leaders declare drug crisis in Portland

Why it matters: Portland has been struggling.

Portland used to be known as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. But in recent years the city has struggled with widespread street use of fentanyl, which has led to an increase in homeless encampments and crime.

As many other U.S. cities have recovered from the pandemic, the fentanyl crisis has hampered the city's recovery.

A number of major retailers, such as REIhave closed stores in Portland, while hundreds of people die every year from fentanyl overdoses, often in tents or on sidewalks.

The emergency declaration is part of a broader plan announced late last year by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek to curb public drug use and crime in Portland and restore a sense of safety to workers and visitors.

In an executive order Tuesday, Governor Kotek cited the “economic and reputational harm” the fentanyl problem was inflicting on Portland and the state.

“Our country and our state have never seen such a fatally addictive drug, and they are all grappling with how to respond,” the governor said in a statement.

Background: Oregon decriminalized most public drug use in 2020.

The emergency declaration seeks to address a common criticism among Oregon taxpayers: Millions of dollars are spent on homelessness and addiction issues, but the resources don't always reach people effectively.

State officials said a “command center” would be set up in downtown Portland, where several state, city and county agencies would coordinate their responses to the fentanyl problem. The command center is also designed to collect and analyze data and identify any “gaps” in the government's response.

Many cities are struggling with the consequences of fentanyl. In Oregon, the problem was accelerated by a law passed in 2020 that decriminalized the use of so-called hard drugs, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, not just marijuana, which was already legal in Oregon and many other states. When Measure 110 passed, it was celebrated as a first-in-the-nation law, an effort to recognize drug addiction as a health problem and not a crime.