Oregon is poised to dramatically expand an addiction treatment system that already consumes millions of dollars each year with no clear results.
Oregonians passed Measure 110 last fall to take drug users out of jails and put them into clinics. That could move thousands of people into a system already clogged and lacking evidence it’s effective, an investigation by Salem Reporter found.
For years, Oregon has had among the highest rates of substance abuse in the country. Federal estimates indicate more than 332,000 Oregonians are substance abusers, based on surveys about drug and alcohol consumption.
Alcohol abuse accounts for the bulk of that, but Oregon ranks first among states in painkiller abuse and second in methamphetamine use.