Poll: Oregon Voters Seek to Revoke Drug Decriminalization

A New Poll Reveals Oregon Residents’ Desire to⁢ Repeal​ Drug Decriminalization Law

A recent poll conducted by Emerson College​ shows that Oregon residents are now‌ seeking⁢ to repeal‍ a law⁣ they had ⁤previously voted to enact‌ less than three years ago.⁢ This law, ⁤known as Measure 110, had downgraded the penalties for⁣ the use of hard drugs,⁤ such as heroin‍ and ⁢methamphetamine, to a small fine. However, since its implementation, Oregon has witnessed a‌ significant increase in public ​drug use, with fentanyl-related fatalities rising by 210 percent since 2020, according to state authorities.

The ‌poll, ‍released this month, indicates that a majority of respondents, 56 percent, prefer a full ⁣repeal of ⁢the measure rather than leaving the policy in place.⁢ Additionally, when given the option to either‌ maintain the ⁤law or repeal certain parts of it, 64 ⁢percent of respondents chose a partial repeal.

Furthermore, the poll reveals that 58 percent of those surveyed believe that the state is heading in the‍ wrong direction, while 42 percent think ‍it ⁢is going the right way.

This poll comes in the wake of a Wall Street Journal report, published two months ago, which highlighted⁢ the increasing exodus of Portland residents due to escalating homelessness and crime rates. According ​to U.S. Census data, between 2020 ‌and 2022, Portland experienced a population decline of nearly 3 percent, after having seen a 23 percent increase in the two decades prior to ​the pandemic.