Portland State Study Finds COVID and Fentanyl, Not Measure 110, Drove Oregon’s Spike in Drug Deaths
A recently released report by Portland State University (PSU) researchers into the effect of Measure 110 on Oregon’s spike in drug-related deaths reveals that the Covid-19 pandemic- specifically the increased use of fentanyl, played a significant role.
Source: Oregon Capital Chronicle reporting on Measure 110 distributions and state policy updates
Dailytidings.com
Oregon Drug Deaths Spike Post-COVID-19
Oregon’s Measure 110 decriminalized possession of personal amounts of all controlled substances between February 2021 and August 2024 and increased funding for behavioral health services to pivot away from incarceration and criminal charges, and implement a ticket with referral to services when users have small amounts of drugs.
In the meantime, lawmakers have contemplated recriminalizing minor drug possession covered under Measure 110. While other studies had conflicting conclusions, the public perception was different:
A 2023 survey suggested voters thought the law was ineffective and that problems got worse after it passed in 2020.
In the report on PSU’s three-year study into the impacts of Measure 110 decriminalization, looking at how Oregon’s drug policies have impacted the state, led by Associate Professors Kelsey Henderson, Christopher Campbell, and Professor Brian Renauer, the researchers found little evidence that Measure 110 was to blame for rising crime or deadly overdoses.
Source: OHA Measure 110 dashboard spending updates summarized in state releases
Dailytidings.com
Their analysis points to the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread emergence of fentanyl as the primary drivers behind the spike in drug-related deaths.
While there were many claims that Measure 110 was responsible for rising crime and overdose deaths, the research showed that, while the rollout of Measure 110 had real problems, it was not responsible for the rise in crime and overdose deaths.
Trends varied somewhat by county; by 2023, drug arrests, charges, and crime rates were all either declining or stable at relatively low rates.
Drug-related deaths began climbing rapidly before Measure 110, and despite peaking in 2023, remained high going into 2024. The researchers pinpointed the COVID-19 pandemic and fentanyl as the causal link to drug overdose increases, rather than Measure 110.
| Item | What it shows | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Measure 110 approved | Voters passed the measure in 2020 | Shifted policy from arrest-first to treatment-first |
| Decriminalization window | Personal possession decriminalized in 2021 and ended in 2024 | Frames the period studied by PSU researchers |
| Funding scale | About $260M distributed to community providers | Shows the size of the behavioral health investment |
| 2024 policy reset | Legislature replaced Measure 110 approach with new misdemeanor and deflection system | Signals political response to public safety concerns |
| PSU finding focus | COVID-era fentanyl surge cited as main driver of death spike | Challenges the narrative that Measure 110 alone caused the crisis |
The researchers said, “Rising crime rates and drug-related deaths that were attributed to post-COVID changes like Measure 110 were actually a return to pre-COVID levels.
The findings from the study also suggest that state and county officials can use the study as a possible baseline to gauge the implementation of deflection compared to defelonization.
The researchers say that success with deflection will not just depend on re-criminalization but on whether new treatment pathways are accessible, adequately resourced, and appropriately coordinated across agencies.
- Nov 2020 – Voters approve Measure 110.
- Feb 2021 – Personal drug possession decriminalized.
- 2021-2023 – Measure 110 treatment and harm reduction grants roll out.
- Mar 2024 – Legislature passes HB 4002 to replace parts of 110.
- Sep 1 2024 – New possession misdemeanor and deflection model take effect.
- Apr 2025 – PSU researchers publish findings emphasizing COVID-fentanyl impact.
#1 Don’t believe ANY study from the leftist democrat cover-up study from Portland State. “Portland” is all you need to know just to start with. Measure 110 “smiled” on Drugs and Drug addicts. Less than 1% of the so-called offenses ticketed under Measure 110, sought treatment under the plan. And even fewer than that ever paid the minimal (laughable) fine. It was nothing other than the enablement of using drugs and drug addiction. Similarly, Oregon is housing, feeding and giving cell phones to Drug addicts which comprise the majority of the Homeless. Yes, there are some who are legitimately homeless and they need help, but the enabling and coddling of Drug Addicts continues on and then Kotek and other leftists wonder why the problem gets worse after spending literally hundreds of millions of dollars. If you don’t force addicts to change, they will not change, and more will be attracted to Oregon.