Why We’re Supporting Measure 110
Ballots will be mailed out very soon, and we want to share why we’re supporting Measure 110, and why we urge you to join us in voting yes.
Measure 110 will increase access to vital drug treatment and recovery services across the state, ensuring that more Oregonians struggling with substance abuse will have the services and support they need to get well.
Why is this measure so urgently needed? Because right now, Oregon ranks nearly last in the country in access to drug addiction treatment. In some parts of the state, drug treatment and recovery services are not available at all. And in the places where these services do exist, the wait list to get in can be weeks — or even months — long.
All the while, our state continues to treat addiction as a crime, sending people with drug addiction to jail instead of connecting them with evidence-based, compassionate care. It’s a cruel and ineffective practice, and incarceration for addiction only makes matters much worse — adding trauma, and saddling people with a criminal record that makes it harder to obtain employment, housing and more.
Damage from our Drug Laws
The damage our drug laws are doing is incalculable and deeply inequitable. People of color are 3 times more likely to be arrested, charged and convicted of drug crimes, are sentenced more harshly and pay higher fines. LGBTQ people are twice as likely to have Substance Use Disorder, yet are twice as likely to not have access to treatment. This, along with overpolicing, leads to LGBTQ people being three times as likely to be incarcerated.
By voting yes on Measure 110, Oregonians will have the chance to shift Oregon away from criminalizing addiction, and toward a better, more humane approach. With one to two Oregonians dying from drug overdoses every single day, Measure 110 is urgently needed. Now.
Because Measure 110 will shift us from punishing drug addiction to using a health-based, treatment-first approach, it has received more than 100 endorsements from organizations across the state, including the American College of Physicians, the Oregon Nurses Association, Oregon School Psychologists’ Association, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, the Crime Victims’ Rights Alliance and the Academy of Family Physicians. We’re proud to be part of the coalition supporting this important initiative. When your ballot arrives in the mail, we hope you’ll join us in voting YES on Measure 110!
Things you can do to support the campaign today:
Add your name in support of Measure 110
Has addiction touched your life, or the life of someone you love? Are you fed up with our current criminal justice system? The campaign wants to hear from you! Share your story here.