Drug Use on Oregon’s Public Buses and Trains is Now Punishable with Jail and a Hefty Fine
Public transport users should take note that a new law classifying the use of illicit drugs while in transit is a Class A misdemeanor that came into effect in Oregon on January 1. Anyone found guilty faces a year in jail, a fine of $6,250, or both.
The use of illicit drugs in transit is also designated as a drug misdemeanor. Anyone found guilty can be sent for state-funded drug addiction treatment.
Senate Bill 1553 rings in the changes and the general manager of TriMet, Sam Desue confirms that guilty parties will face hefty penalties.
TriMet Police Officers and 8,000 Security Cameras Will Keep Watch
Public transport users will be under the watchful eyes of TriMet Transit Police who will arrest law-breaking offenders. There are 21 deputies and officers in the TriMet Transit Police Division, backed up by 8,000 security cameras.
Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez says the new law is unlike House Bill 4002, which recriminalized possession of small amounts of hard drugs and offered a deflection program for rehabilitation treatment.
Vasquez says someone smoking and causing airborne drugs to endanger the people around them will not be eligible for deflection.
A TriMet spokesperson says Senate Bill 1553 focuses on drug use in public transport services that offer commuters confined onboard public spaces, making it impossible for travelers to move away from areas in which drug offenses occur.
TriMet says there has been a significant increase in the use of drugs on public transport since 2020. However, in February 2021, when Oregon became the first US state to decriminalize possession of small quantities of illicit drugs, the death by overdose rate increased statewide by 43% and has been on the rise ever since.
By the end of 2023, Oregon obtained the dubious reputation as the state with the highest overdose rate in the US.
Public transport drug use transgressions can be reported to the TriMet hotline at 503-238-7433 (RIDE).
Sources & References
- Senate Bill 1553 – https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/…