Friend,

I wanted to make sure you saw Lindsay’s important update from over the weekend.

We know that the war on drugs has failed, and criminalization is not the answer to the problems our communities face. Yet, we see time and again that politicians and the media use drugs as the scapegoat for complex social issues. Our powerful opponents continue to use the drug war playbook to convince us that criminalization is the only way, and that Measure 110 in Oregon is a failure.

We need your help to stand up against these lies. Donate now to help us correct the record on Measure 110. Because the truth is, Measure 110 is beginning to deliver on its promise.

As Lindsay details in her original email, Measure 110 has expanded funding for health and addiction services… It has reduced arrests for drug possession by an average of 65%... Tens of thousands of people have been able to access a wide range of social services without fear of arrest... And an independent evaluation shows that Measure 110 has not caused an increase in crime.

Your support today will help us fightback against reckless misinformation. We can only address fears around crime and violence by having conversations rooted in facts. We must push back against fearful rhetoric shouted by politicians, media pundits, and special interest groups.

Friend, please, if you can, make a donation to help us spread the truth, and help keep progressive drug policies moving forward.

Sincerely,

Brian Pacheco
Managing Director, Communications and Marketing
Drug Policy Alliance

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BEGIN ORIGIAL MESSAGE
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Urgent: The real story about Oregon & Measure 110
Date: August 5, 2023

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Dear Friend,

Our communities want and need a health-focused approach to drugs. People deserve safety, dignity, and health, whether they are actively using drugs or in recovery. This is what Oregon’s Measure 110 provides by investing in addiction services and support instead of arresting and incarcerating people.

"I can see the hope in their eyes when they realize they have resources awaiting them. They have a spark of hope instead of just hitting back to the streets and being addicted, being homeless.”

-Jesse Moore, a peer support worker funded by Measure 110 and who works with people released from prison.

Yet Oregon’s Measure 110 is under a relentless attack by opportunistic drug war defenders who want punishment over health - all for political gain.

While Measure 110 is in the early days of its implementation, the initial impacts show that it is beginning to deliver on its promise.

• Expanding health funding. More than $302 million and counting have been disbursed to overdose prevention, housing, peer support, harm reduction, addiction treatment and recovery programs, and other low-threshold services tailored to fit people’s needs.

• Reducing arrests, reinvesting funds towards health. The average number of monthly arrests for drug possession plummeted by 65% after decriminalization took effect, keeping thousands of people out of the criminal legal system. Even better, the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis recently stated that Measure 110 has already saved nearly $40 million from the criminal legal system and is reinvesting that funding into addiction services.

• Impacting people’s lives. Tens of thousands of people are accessing a wide range of services without fear of arrest thanks to Measure 110. The impact will only grow as service implementation grows. The latest data (Summer-Winter 2022) from Oregon Health Authority shows:
  • The number of people seeking substance use disorder treatment through Measure 110 increased 44%.
  • People in recovery who were provided housing services increased by more than 125%, and those provided employment services increased by 136%.
  • More than 10,100 people received overdose prevention and more than 7,600 people received peer support services to help with recovery.

• Maintaining safety. Initial findings from an independent evaluation show that Measure 110 protects public safety and has not caused an increase in crime.

But the opposition is invested in criminalizing people rather than addressing root causes that can lead to lasting, meaningful change. They are inaccurately blaming Measure 110 as the cause of nearly every problem in Oregon – and some major media outlets are helping them perpetuate these falsehoods. What they aren’t saying is that criminalization is a revolving door of arrest and incarceration with no adequate access to services and support. It’s a dead end.

It’s time to share the real story about Oregon.

Read and share with your networks and on social media the real-life stories about Measure 110 such as how the Oregon Change Clinic was able to transform an old hotel that now offers safe housing and outpatient services where people are thriving and building community.