Public mistrust of science: An interview with former governor John Kitzhaber on Oregon drug policy

"In 2001, Portugal decriminalized the use and possession of all illicit drugs, which coincided with a drop in overdose deaths and substance use cite{StatisticalBulletin2020}. In the United States, Oregon has been the only state to follow suit by passing Measure 110 (M110) in November 2020, which was repealed by the legislature less than four years later. In the time between M110's adoption and repeal, there was a steep increase in drug overdose deaths and people living unsheltered cite{Henderson2023}. Opponents of M110 claimed the policy worsened these issues, while others argued the COVID-19 pandemic and the arrival of fentanyl were larger driving factors. In this conversation with Dr. John Kitzhaber, we reviewed M110 from inception to repeal, discussed the disconnect between its vision and realization, and placed M110 within the large context of addiction treatment and healthcare infrastructure. Dr. Kitzhaber is an alumnus of The Oregon Health \& Science University (OHSU) medical school and has served as both an emergency room physician in rural Oregon and a representative for Oregon residents at multiple levels of government. Dr. Kitzhaber served as Governor of Oregon from 1995-2003 and 2011-2015, and has been a member of both the Oregon Senate and the Oregon House of Representatives. Kitzhaber was an influential member of the democratic party, but broke with his party on the question of M110 in 2020 and urged a no vote on the bill. He is currently registered as unaffiliated."