Drug Decriminalization, Fentanyl, and Fatal Overdoses in Oregon.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

With the implementation of Measure 110 (M110) in 2021, Oregon became the first US state to decriminalize small amounts of any drug for personal use. To date, no analysis of the association of this law with overdose mortality has fully accounted for the introduction of fentanyl-a substance that is known to drive fatal overdose-to Oregon's unregulated drug market.

Objective

To evaluate whether the decriminalization of drug possession in Oregon was associated with changes in fatal drug overdose rates after accounting for the rapid spread of fentanyl in Oregon's unregulated drug market.

Design, setting, and participants

In this cohort study, the association between fatal overdose and enactment of M110 was analyzed using a matrix completion synthetic control met

SUBMITTER: Zoorob MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11378001 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature