I have heard that Portland is such a mess because three factors hit at once:
1) the police stopped arresting for small possession, but no social services were funded to fill the gap for helping/making people get clean. Churches can only do so much.
2) the war on fentanyl pushed that drug market into homemade from ingredients anyone can get on alibaba... greatly increasing access.
3) the unemployment crisis.
I can vouch personally for the massive number of people who appear high on fentanyl, specifically. Thank goodness it's not an aggressive drug. Can someone with more context and subject expertise comment?
1) the police stopped arresting for small possession, but no social services were funded to fill the gap for helping/making people get clean. Churches can only do so much.
2) the war on fentanyl pushed that drug market into homemade from ingredients anyone can get on alibaba... greatly increasing access.
3) the unemployment crisis.
I can vouch personally for the massive number of people who appear high on fentanyl, specifically. Thank goodness it's not an aggressive drug. Can someone with more context and subject expertise comment?