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This was so good to read -- to get such an important perspective. I know the stories of increased drug use and crime are likely true, but we (as individuals and as a state) can't make decisions based on one side of the story. Like homelessness, we have to solve this one step -- often one person -- at a time. Thanks for the good work and for telling us about it.

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Thank you so very much for this important information. We have a long way to go, but a functional Detox facility, that is a big one. As the mother of a son who did not recover from Alcohol, we tried intelligently to find a path in Portland’s challenging crisis and treatment morass, Our family lost a beautiful son, nephew, cousin, and friend, as access and even information was rarely connected. It is a sad reminder that 5 to 6 Oregonians die of alcohol related causes each day, as the bureaucracy tries to find its way. Thank the New York Times for shining a light on the state’s dismal record of Alcohol and Drug abuse statistics. We haven’t been able to do it ourselves, remarkably.

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Thank you so much for this op-ed. It is beyond belief that some people want a new War on Drugs. As if it would turn out any differently than the first.

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