After it was revealed on Friday that Multnomah County in Portland was preparing to distribute “smoking supplies” to fentanyl users, including aluminum foil, straws, and pipes, the program came under heavy criticism and was subsequently suspended. The decision to suspend the program was made due to the lack of proper implementation protocols by the county’s health department.
County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson announced the suspension on Tuesday, stating that further analysis was needed before proceeding with the program. The program, which drew inspiration from “harm reduction” efforts in other parts of the country, was initially mentioned to the county board as early as May. However, concerns were raised by two county commissioners after it was reported by Willamette Week.
Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards expressed her reservations about the distribution of foil and straws for fentanyl use, highlighting the lack of evidence that it would be as effective as safe needle exchanges or the county’s ability to connect individuals to treatment. On the other hand, Sarah Dean, a spokesperson for Multnomah County, defended the program, pointing out that fentanyl is typically smoked and that providing supplies for safer drug use has been proven not to increase illegal drug use.
The decision to suspend the program comes at a time when fentanyl overdose deaths in the area have increased significantly, from 26 in 2019 to 209 in 2022. The county’s intention behind supplying smoking paraphernalia was to encourage users to switch from syringes, which can transmit diseases, and to incentivize them to visit clinics where they can access fentanyl test strips and Narcan, an overdose reversal drug.
The county had planned to allocate $3 million over the next fiscal year towards these “harm reduction” supplies. However, the initiative faced strong opposition from many residents, such as Loretta Guzman, who expressed concerns about the impact it would have on the city. She lamented the visible presence of people smoking fentanyl everywhere and emphasized the negative consequences for local businesses.
Angela Todd, another Portland resident, criticized the program as bordering on “insanity” and called for proper detox facilities instead. Even Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, though lacking authority over Multnomah County programming, spoke out against the initiative, labeling it as “actively enabling” the fentanyl problem in the city and posing a greater risk to public safety.
Despite the backlash, County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson maintained her support for the suspended plan, emphasizing her focus on saving lives. She believed that connecting people with lifesaving materials like naloxone was crucial in combating the increase in fentanyl use. However, drug counselor Kevin Dahlgren disputed this justification, arguing that the program merely encouraged drug use without offering necessary services for addiction treatment.
Dahlgren further criticized the county, claiming that historically they lacked a plan to address homelessness and that this program appeared to be a way of allowing individuals to self-destruct. He highlighted the severity of the fentanyl crisis and expressed shock at the county’s decision to provide the means for addicts to hasten their own demise.
In conclusion, the Multnomah County program to distribute smoking supplies to fentanyl users has been suspended due to concerns over the lack of implementation protocols. The program faced significant backlash from health experts, residents, and even the mayor. While some saw it as a harm reduction effort to reduce the risk of disease transmission and encourage clinic visits, others viewed it as enabling drug use and criticized the county’s approach to tackling the fentanyl crisis. The debate around this issue reflects the complexity and urgency of addressing the opioid epidemic in Portland.
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