Decriminalizing Drug Possession Not Linked to Higher Overdose Death Rates in Oregon or Washington
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Wednesday, September 27, 2023
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The research team's goal was to investigate whether fully or partially decriminalizing drug possession changed rates of overdose deaths in either state in the first year after the policy change.
Key Points:
- The research team's goal was to investigate whether fully or partially decriminalizing drug possession changed rates of overdose deaths in either state in the first year after the policy change.
- Critics, meanwhile, argue that decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of drugs might increase drug use and subsequent fatal overdose.
- "These two studies show that drug decriminalization measures in Oregon and Washington reduced arrests and did not increase overdose deaths.
- The researchers then constructed a synthetic control group made up of 13 states that had similar rates of overdose to Oregon and 18 states that had similar rates to overdose in Washington pre-decriminalization.