Current:Home > MarketsOregon Gov. Kotek directs state police to crack down on fentanyl distribution-InfoLens
Oregon Gov. Kotek directs state police to crack down on fentanyl distribution
View Date:2024-12-23 18:47:23
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said Tuesday she has directed state police to launch new strategies aimed at disrupting the fentanyl supply chain and holding sellers of the frequently deadly drug accountable.
Kotek said in a statement that she made the announcement at a Tuesday meeting of her task force created to revitalize downtown Portland.
“I want all Oregonians to know that the state is moving forward with several new fentanyl strategic enforcement and disruption strategies,” Kotek’s statement said.
The plans include increasing and reallocating state police staff to local drug enforcement teams, holding trainings with the Oregon Department of Justice to address potential biases and avoid unlawful searches, and leading interagency patrols that emphasize intercepting fentanyl using drug dogs and detectives, Kotek said.
She said a pilot project using a data-driven approach to identifying drug- and alcohol-impaired drivers would also be extended.
During one weekend in May, at least eight people in Portland died of suspected drug overdoses, according to the city’s police bureau. Six of the deaths were likely related to fentanyl, police said.
So far this year, the Oregon State Patrol has seized nearly 233,000 fentanyl pills and 62 pounds of powder, the statement said.
“As we work to cut the supply of fentanyl and hold dealers accountable for selling dangerous drugs, I also remain fully committed to expanding access to critical behavioral health services,” Kotek said.
No details about expanding access to health services were released.
A synthetic opioid, fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49. More than 100,000 deaths a year in the U.S. have been tied to drug overdoses since 2020, and about two-thirds of those are related to fentanyl.
Illegally made fentanyl is often added to other drugs, including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, to increase its potency. Some people are not aware they are taking it.
At the Family Summit on Fentanyl in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a speech that the U.S. Justice Department is sending out about $345 million in federal funding in the next year, including money to support mentoring young people at risk and increasing access to the overdose-reversal drug naloxone.
veryGood! (65939)
Related
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a long record of promoting anti-vaccine views
- Italy grants citizenship to terminally ill British baby after Vatican hospital offers care.
- Luis Diaz appeals for the release of his kidnapped father after scoring for Liverpool
- King Charles III will preside over Britain’s State Opening of Parliament, where pomp meets politics
- Why the US celebrates Veterans Day and how the holiday has changed over time
- A Class Action Suit Could Upend The Entire Real Estate Industry
- Albania agrees to temporarily house migrants who reach Italy while their asylum bids are processed
- Myanmar resistance claims first capture of a district capital from the military government
- Pete Alonso's best free agent fits: Will Mets bring back Polar Bear?
- Albania agrees to temporarily house migrants who reach Italy while their asylum bids are processed
Ranking
- Could trad wives, influencers have sparked the red wave among female voters?
- A new survey of wealthy nations finds favorable views rising for the US while declining for China
- 'Sickening and unimaginable' mass shooting in Cincinnati leaves 11-year-old dead, 5 others injured
- Texans running back steps in as emergency kicker in thrilling comeback win over Buccaneers
- Wheel of Fortune Contestant Goes Viral Over His Hilariously Wrong Answer
- NBA highest-paid players in 2023-24: Who is No. 1 among LeBron, Giannis, Embiid, Steph?
- Animal shelters think creatively to help families keep their pets amid crisis
- Full transcript of Face the Nation, Nov. 5, 2023
Recommendation
-
Glen Powell responds to rumor that he could replace Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible'
-
Car crashes into pub’s outdoor dining area in Australia, killing 5 and injuring 6
-
Owner of Black-owned mobile gaming trailer in Detroit wants to inspire kids to chase their dreams
-
Oklahoma State surges up and Oklahoma falls back in NCAA Re-Rank 1-133 after Bedlam
-
'I know how to do math': New Red Lobster CEO says endless shrimp deal is not coming back
-
Man accused of Antarctic assault was then sent to remote icefield with young graduate students
-
California officer involved in controversial police shooting resigns over racist texts, chief says
-
US regulators to review car-tire chemical deadly to salmon after request from West Coast tribes