Oregon 'lost a generation of people' due to now-reversed liberal drug law, says GOP leader

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Oregon recriminalizes drug possession in reversal of 2020 law

Oregon State House GOP leader Jeff Helfrich explains the pivot on 'Fox & Friends.'

Oregon’s move to recriminalize drugs was the first of many necessary steps, according to State House Republican leader Jeff Helfrich. The new law, which is a reversal of the state’s 2020 decriminalization, went into effect Sunday.

"You saw overdose deaths, you saw drug usage on the street, crime, homelessness all soared after Democrats put this policy in place. And they could have stopped it, but they didn't," Helfrich told "Fox & Friends" Tuesday.

The new legislation, HB 4002, imposes tougher penalties for selling drugs in public and makes drug possession for personal use a misdemeanor offense.

Under the new law, those caught with small amounts of hard drugs such as fentanyl, heroin, and meth will have the ability to choose between a charge of possession or treatment programs that would include being mandated to complete a behavioral health program to avoid fines.

A syringe drop box stands on the street as a Portland Police officer conducts an investigation into drug dealing and issues a citation for drug possession during a patrol in downtown Portland, Oregon on January 25, 2024. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

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Addiction and drug-related deaths skyrocketed in the years following Oregon’s 2020 decriminalization, which was passed with 58% of voters’ support. The law has been described as the most liberal drug law ever to take effect in the U.S.

"Unfortunately, because we decriminalized it for those few years, we've lost a generation, I believe, of people because of these drugs. And you don't get to have those times anymore," Helfrich said. 

"People can’t even go into public and take their kids to the park because they're dealing with the death, they're dealing with drug use, dealing with all those bad things that are happening. And this is just horrible policies." 

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The new law will make it easier for police to crack down on drug use in public, a problem that has become widespread in some parts of the state.

Offenders who choose treatment programs will have to meet strict eligibility criteria to avoid charges, Portland police chief Bob Day told the Guardian, mandating that those caught in possession have "no other charges, no warrants, no violent behavior, medically stable."

Though the new law has been implemented state-wide, Helfrich expressed a need for more action to address the state’s drug crisis. 

"It's unfortunate that you have these mega-donors around the nation that use Oregon as the petri dish and experiment to try to create this world of utopia, and you can't do it. We need more Republicans [in] charge to fix this problem."

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Fox News' Michael Lee and Michael Dorgon contributed to this report.