Liz McCarthy, an Oregon Health Authority epidemiologist, released the finalized overdose data for 2023 and it shows a tripling death rate since legalization and harm reduction efforts were passed. Even worse – the rate is increasing dramatically with a doubling rate of almost every 2 years.

Even worse, most of the rest of the country are seeing a dramatic DECLINE in overdose deaths – so this is clearly a local/policy problem.

The newest numbers show 1,833 people died in Oregon from a drug overdose last year, compared to 1,383 in 2022, 1,189 in 2021, 824 in 2020 and 626 in 2019

This increase mirrors the same timeframe of drug decriminalization and hundreds of millions spent on harm reduction efforts in Oregon. The tripling of the overdose death rate in the same time is yet one more data point that proves that legalization and supposed harm reduction efforts do the very opposite.

Dramatically more people are dying now than even arrest and jail time. Jail was actually saving more lives than legalization and harm reduction.

Anyone that has compassion for the plight of drug addicts should demand change of policy. The sad reality is that many Oregonians continue to support these ideological policies when it’s clear they’re killing hundreds more people every year.

Articles:

• https://www.oregonlive.com/health/2024/12/oregon-overdose-deaths-grew-33-in-2023-health-data-shows.html