Multnomah County will start prosecuting people caught with illegal drugs who fail to “meaningfully engage” with treatment options, District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said Tuesday. His announcement signals yet another turning point in Oregon’s years-long effort to effectively tackle public drug use, which has run rampant in the Portland area, where overdose deaths hit record highs in recent years. Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2025/11/in-drug-policy-shift-people-caught-by-police-wh