Oregon officials to visit Portugal for drug crisis solutions fact-finding trip
PORTLAND, Ore. — A delegation of Oregon officials will soon head to Portugal for a fact-finding mission on combating the drug crises here at home.
In 2001, Portugal decriminalized personal use and possession of all illicit drugs.
Three years ago, Oregon voters passed Measure 110, which decriminalized certain amounts of hard drugs.
Now, Measure 110 faces criticism from many who say it has failed to deliver as promised.
The Health Justice Recovery Alliance -- which advocates for Measure 110 -- is sponsoring the trip for a group of legislators, local elected officials, addiction recovery providers, and law enforcement.
They say since Portugal passed its law, they have seen fewer overdose deaths, lower use rates and the stigma around use lowered, leading to more people seeking care.
"What we don't want to do is just come back with policy ideas that we wouldn't know how to implement," said Tera Hurst, executive director for the Health Justice Recovery Alliance. "What we want to do is come back with -- we're bringing the people who are on the ground right now who can also inform, OK, this would really work well in Oregon, and this could help us solve the use for what we're seeing in the streets right now. But it's also something where they could say that doesn’t really work for Oregon, but you know what we could do, and we'll have the brainstorming sessions there."
The group will meet with the architect of Portugal's legislation, local law enforcement, and recovery services providers, among others.
Oregon's delegation includes Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, the president of the Portland Police Association and Republican state Rep. Lily Morgan, who opposes Measure 110.
In an email to KATU, Morgan called Measure 110 an "utter failure." She said she is going on the trip to be a "voice of opposition."
Morgan added that she is going on the trip to ensure "there is someone there to tell our story of the harmful effects of decriminalization; and so there is accountability on what is being told in Portugal when we come back and address this bill in 2024."
State lawmakers will reconvene in Salem for a short legislative session. Legislation involving drug use, treatment, and Measure 110 is already expected to be a focus.
Hurst said including Morgan in the trip will improve the quality of the discussion in Portugal.
"She always comes to the table and has thoughtful questions and pokes holes that I think are really important. I'm happy that she's going to be joining us," Hurst said.
Oregon officials will also be speaking with law enforcement in the western European country.
Aaron Schmautz, president of the Portland Police Association, said the officers' union will likely pay for his travel to Portugal so he can remain independent.
"We are definitely not doing this for any reason other than to be a part of the conversation," Schmautz told KATU, adding that he's interested in learning more about Portugal's approach to law enforcement in a drug-decriminalized environment.
Measure 110 "was passed and the agreement, or the understanding, was that we want to take law enforcement out of the addiction realm. But also, police officers were left in a position where we are the only people who can issue citations that get people into treatment. And so, It's very unclear what's expected of law enforcement," Schmautz said. "This is an opportunity to go and see firsthand how it's impacting law enforcement" in Portugal.
The trip is scheduled for Oct. 30 through Nov. 3.