Heart breaking scenes on a family trip to Portland USA with an outbreak of Fentanyl use.
Portland USA has a similar drug law enforcement as Portugal - in that all drugs are legal.
Whereas unlike Portugal there’s no where near the infrastructure to support such a radical venture…
Meaning that the homeless folk are now dealing and using in plain sight everywhere come nightfall.
We took a shocking night drive to witness users throughout the upmarket hotels and restaurant areas.
Some security of course, but it was like witnessing a zombie apocalypse for the second time since the C19 outbreak.
Folk frozen. Locals now carrying Naloxone in case they come across an OD.
Unlike other narcotic outbreaks in the past. Users are not known to exhibit violence as a course for a future fix.
In the last 18 months has exploded due to very low cost for amounts that are lethal.
Very scary times ahead.
Possession of small quantities of specified drugs are de-criminalised in Oregon. Not quite ‘all drugs are legal’.
This is a hugely nuanced and complex subject, one that would be hard to engage without straying into politics.
I find it odd that anyone might go out at night almost ‘sightseeing’ this situation, or have I misunderstood your post?
Bruce
“Sightseeing” only really an eye opener for us tourists.
We have a family member who owns a store. So is used to this locally.
Just treating us to an uptown treat at a restaurant and showing us the scale of what’s going on.
Just really shocked at how widespread the users are visible.
The other drug is meth with users violently convulsing.
I’m just up the road from Portland and see this everyday. It’s gone beyond sad.
Has to be good if it opens everyone’s eyes to what so many people would prefer hidden. The next step is society opening its mind to the ways of dealing with this as a system-wide approach rather than isolated initiatives.
The rise in Fentanyl use has complex origins but one large factor is heavy law enforcement increasing the cost and reducing the availability of heroin in some areas. Fentanyl has a higher profitability, and can be manufactured as it is totally synthetic. Unitended consequences…
Bruce
You’re right it is extremely concerning. It has been identified in Brighton where we are. Regrettably there is an inevitability around its arrival given the huge profitability associated with it, against a back drop of receding opium production in Afghanistan.
Even worse, I read that there are other synthetic opioids 40x more potent than fentanyl which in itself is an unbelievable 50x stronger than heroin.
Showing us new build Portland buildings of offices. 4 years ago 90% was filled with busy successful companies.
Today they are at most 10%.
The main streets during the day used to have heavy footfall. Now derelict.
Illicit drugs are not legal federally anywhere in the US so no, not all drugs are legal in Portland. Many years ago the US decided that spending money on mental health issues is not the way to go and chose instead to use incarceration to manage the problem. You’re seeing the outcome of that practice clash with historic wealth disparity, another chosen path by our elected officials.
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