Editorial: Oregon’s response to substance abuse needs more work
Published 10:37 am Thursday, November 6, 2025
The Oregon Legislature is still trying to solve Ballot Measure 110.
The measure, approved by voters in 2020, decriminalized possession of illegal drugs. The idea was that people suffering addiction need treatment and should not just be thrown in jail.
Prioritizing treatment was the right overarching idea. It didn’t come with the right “underarching” policy and support. One problem: There were effectively no consequences for a person who decided to not seek treatment after getting a ticket for drug possession. Another problem: The state failed at getting services up and running around Oregon to ensure everyone who wanted drug treatment could get easy access to treatment.
Legislators came back with House Bill 4002, reintroducing potential penalties for drug possession. People struggling with addiction can now avoid penalties if they complete drug treatment programs.
House Bill 4002 also created a legislative task force, the Joint Task Force on Regional Behavioral Health Accountability. It met Monday as it is finishing up its report. It is looking to identify ways to improve treatment, including treatment of substance abuse and mental illness.
Among the many problems the task force identified are that Medicaid, state funding for counties, and private insurance have different permitted uses and requirements. Different organizations, community care organizations and community mental health programs also have different service areas, funding and requirements for services. It makes it challenging to blend and braid it all into a coherent system of treatment for people with a variety of needs.
The report calls for capturing more data. It calls for better monitoring to ensure Oregonians have access to good treatment no matter where they live. It calls for reducing administrative burdens. It calls for more transparency and accountability. It calls for more coordination.
Legislators took some steps in those directions in the 2025 session. But the problem of substance abuse that had voter attention in Ballot Measure 110 is going to continually need more work.
You can read a copy of the draft report here: tinyurl.com/healthOR.
