"Oregon Declares State of Emergency to Combat Fentanyl Crisis in Portland"

Oregon has declared a state of emergency over Portland's fentanyl crisis, just three years after decriminalizing drug use. The emergency command center will focus on drug overdose response and prevention, pooling resources across city, county, and state jurisdictions. The move comes after a 533% increase in synthetic opioid overdose deaths in Multnomah County. The state is grappling with the impact of its 2020 drug decriminalization law, which emphasized addiction treatment but has seen fentanyl proliferate on Portland streets. Efforts include cracking down on drug pushers, distributing Narcan, and potentially rolling back parts of the decriminalization law.