• Portland City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 6 to ban substances such as fentanyl and heroin from being used in public amid an ongoing opioid and public health crisis.
• City Council officials approved the emergency ordinance—which is supported by Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler and the city commissioner for public safety, Rene Gonzalez—in a 5–0 vote.
• Known as measure 191445, the ordinance updates Portland’s Public Order and Police Code to include a ban on the consumption of controlled substances including fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in public places, citing public health risks owing to exposure to fumes and contaminated paraphernalia, and rising drug overdoses, among other issues.

Tagged: Fentanyl