Drug War/Drug Policy

As of September 30, 2007, Portland’s exclusion zones are no more. The city decided not to renew the zones after a report suggested that racism was a factor in who received exclusions.

Two recent developments may finally signal the end of the vast difference between sentences for crack cocaine and powder cocaine. The inequities in sentences for crack cocaine vs. powder cocaine offenses, and the significant racial disparities in the prison population they generate, are again gaining national attention this summer.

The chemicals in methamphetamines cause rotten teeth, leaving some meth users in need of dentures in their 20s. The increasing incarceration of people addicted to meth means that dental expenses in prisons and jails are going up.

Partnership for Safety and Justice director David Rogers was quoted in a recent Portland Mercury article, raising concerns about racial profiling and racial disparities in Portland's drug-free exclusion zones at a city meeting last week.

The Sentencing Project has released a report, The Next Big Thing: Methamphetamine in the United States, that looks at research and facts to dispel many of the most pervasive myths about methamphetamine. These myths are interfering with setting realistic and effective polices for dealing with meth addiction. Key findings of the report include: