A state of emergency was declared Tuesday over downtown Portland’s rampant fentanyl problems — just three years after Oregon became the first state to decriminalize drug use.
Gov. Tina Kotek, along with Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, each issued an ordinance to establish an emergency command center for drug overdose response and prevention for at least 90 days.
“Our country and our state have never seen a drug this deadly and addictive , and all are grappling with how to respond,” Governor Kotek said.
“The Chair, the Mayor and I recognize the need to act with urgency and unity across our public health and community safety systems to make a dent in this crisis. We are all in this together.”
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The three simultaneous emergency declarations were issued to pool and “refocus existing resources” across the city, county and state jurisdictions, Kotek’s office said.