Oregon Declares 90-Day State of Emergency in Portland Over Fentanyl Crisis

Command Center to Be Established for Coordinated Response; Public Health Campaigns and Increased Law Enforcement Efforts Planned

Oregon officials, including Governor Tina Kotek, have declared a 90-day state of emergency in Portland to address the city's escalating fentanyl crisis.
The emergency declaration will establish a command center in downtown Portland to coordinate strategies and response efforts across state, county, and city levels.
The command center will also collect and analyze data on the impact of fentanyl in the city, identify gaps in service, and allocate resources to address these gaps.
Public health campaigns will be launched to promote drug prevention and treatment, and law enforcement will increase efforts to crack down on drug dealing.
The move comes four years after Oregon decriminalized the use of most hard drugs, including fentanyl, a policy that has faced criticism as overdose deaths have continued to rise.