Rural Oregon’s Battle Against the Fentanyl Epidemic: A Struggle for Survival in the Shadows

The rural communities of Oregon have long been overshadowed by the bustling metropolis of Portland, but as the fentanyl epidemic sweeps across the state, these areas are finding themselves at the heart of the crisis. With limited resources and feeling neglected by policy makers, rural Oregon counties are struggling to contain the opioid epidemic that threatens their very existence.

The small city of McMinnville, located in Yamhill County, serves as a microcosm of the challenges faced by rural Oregon communities. The streets on the outskirts of the city are lined with makeshift shelters, abandoned vehicles, and other signs of homelessness. Deputies have responded to multiple overdoses at these encampments in a single day, and the situation is so dire that they are unable to reach those in need in time.

Sheriff Sam Elliott of Yamhill County describes the situation as “playing Whac-A-Mole” with the numerous challenges that counties are facing. The Association of Oregon Counties President, Danielle Bethell, echoes this sentiment, stating that rural communities have been “left out” of the conversation.

Governor Tina Kotek, who took office in January 2023, has made revitalizing downtown Portland one of her top priorities. Her task force has released ten recommendations for cleaning up and restoring economic vitality to the city, including declaring a fentanyl emergency, bolstering police, expanding homeless shelter capacity, clearing trash and graffiti, and putting a three-year pause on new taxes in Portland. While Portland leaders welcome these ideas, many rural communities feel that they have been overlooked.

The success of Portland is indeed good for the entire economy of the state. However, the challenges faced by rural Oregon counties cannot be ignored. Homelessness and addiction have impacted every corner of Oregon, but the people living outside the Portland metropolitan area feel neglected by state policymakers.

The crisis in rural Oregon is not limited to homelessness and addiction. Affordability and a struggling workforce are also major concerns. Most counties in Oregon vote conservatively, but are consistently outnumbered by urban liberals. Voters in 30 of the state’s 36 counties opposed an ultimately successful gun control measure, and a slim majority of counties opposed Measure 110 in 2020, the state’s landmark drug decriminalization law.

Only 29% of Oregonians polled by DHM Research last year said the state is headed in the right direction, a figure that dropped to 9% among Republicans. The situation is dire, with drugs and homelessness visible on the streets of Portland and in the rural areas. Extreme homelessness and garbage are everywhere, and people are dying.

Governor Kotek has vowed to soften the urban-rural divide in her inaugural address. She signed a bill dedicating more than $26 million to expand shelter capacity in 26 rural counties and visited every Oregon county during her first year in office. However, her critics remain skeptical.

Republican Rep. Lucetta Elmer hosted a roundtable in December to hear from leaders in her district, which includes most of Yamhill County. They told her they wanted to see Kotek’s 10-point plan go beyond Portland. “They want to see it get to all of Oregon,” Elmer said. “They’re crying for that. We need to see that things are going to change.”

The challenges faced by rural Oregon counties are unique, and what works in Portland might not work in areas where cows outnumber people. Commissioners are eagerly awaiting their turn to be at the table.

Sheriff Elliott, who grew up in Yamhill County and has worked in law enforcement there for over two decades, has seen the impact of drugs on his community. While methamphetamine has always been a problem, the arrival of counterfeit pills, or “blues,” has led to a surge in fentanyl use. The number of fentanyl pills seized by Oregon and Idaho police has soared from about 100,000 in 2019 to over 3.6 million in 2023.

Deputies carry overdose-reversing naloxone and use it regularly, but the drugs do not discriminate between users in urban areas and those in rural communities. The drugs are a nexus to the daily work of law enforcement, whether it’s responding to burglaries and thefts or overdoses.

Support for drug decriminalization has crumbled, with up to 74% of respondents now favoring recriminalization and making treatment required, not voluntary, as an alternative to jail. The decriminalization of drugs has taken away one of law enforcement’s best tools in the fight against addiction.

The rural communities of Oregon are at a crossroads. They are struggling to contain the fentanyl epidemic while feeling neglected by policy makers. The challenges they face are unique, and the solutions must be tailored to their needs. It is time for the urban-rural divide to be bridged, and for the people of rural Oregon to be given the resources and support they deserve.

The future of rural Oregon depends on it.