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Where's all the drug treatment and harm reduction? (lemmy.world)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I rewatched an old but good video on the war on drugs. And it reminded me, that tlaw enforcement is AT BEST 1 step ahead of some criminals. But that the criminal element is always rapidly adapting, and the best thing we can do against drugs and crime is to focus on the demand side.

We legalized the drugs, but didn't do the more important half of that solution, treatment and services for the drug users.

So, why aren't we doing more? Who dropped the ball? Are we doomed to just keep throwing more law enforcement at the problem?

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

As someone who's been working with addicts for decades, yes they do.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Then you have to explain why, when 16,000 people got $100 tickets under measure 110, less than 1% of them called a toll free treatment hotline to eliminate the ticket.

https://www.opb.org/article/2022/02/14/oregon-drug-decriminalization-measure-110-grants-treatment-recovery-services/

"While the newly released data has limitations, it gives an idea of how the program’s initial round of grants — for $31.4 million in all — is being spent.

What it shows is that while Measure 110 was pitched to voters as a way to expand access to addiction treatment and recovery, the early spending has only led to about 136 people entering treatment — and that’s out of hundreds of thousands in Oregon who need but are not receiving treatment for substance use."

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

"Pitched to voters?" It was a measure put on the ballot and passed by voters. Why are you referring to it as if this is something the legislature passed on their own and then bungled?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The toll free hotline was not the only way to access treatment. The hotline has certainly been a failure. Thousands of people have already accessed services through other avenues though.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It was just the easiest point of entry, but you notice while I mentioned the hotline, the quote simply says "entered treatment".

136/16,000 = 0.85%

People are lining up for the free needle exchange, or the free narcan, they AREN'T trying to get treatment.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

It's not even close to the easiest. The easiest is working with the peer mentors that are meeting you in the emergency room when you have an abscess or the people you talk to all the time at the needle exchange.

People go to treatment from needle exchanges all the time. You have no clue what you're talking about.

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORDHS/bulletins/3465dc9#:~:text=The%20reporting%20shows%20that%20Measure,were%20still%20being%20established%20statewide.