Abstract:
This study presents a comprehensive overview of an escalating public health crisis characterized by surging rates of fentanyl overdoses among adolescents across the nation, a disturbing trend in the broader context of the opioid epidemic. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, has radically transformed the nature of the street drug industry in recent years and is now claiming young lives by the thousands. The state of Oregon has been hit particularly hard by the current wave of the opioid epidemic, witnessing a horrifying 666% increase in overdose deaths among adolescents between 2019 and 2021 alone. This project examines Oregon’s policy interventions over the past decade through an evidence-based policy analysis framework, applying criteria such as content specificity, implementation, collaboration, sensitivity to injustice, and sustainability. Overall, it seeks to contribute to the public health policy discourse, offering insights that may inform strategies both in and out of Oregon moving forward.
The findings reveal a shift toward more targeted adolescent-centered approaches in recent years, but emphasize a gap in policies that account for the demographic’s unique vulnerabilities and needs—specifically, Oregon is missing programming initiatives geared toward adolescents at high risk for substance use, those already using, or those who already have a substance use
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disorder (SUD). The research emphasizes the need for Oregon to expand its strategies, such as through developing selective and indicated prevention programs, improving access to treatment and rehabilitation services, and community- and family-based engagement initiatives.
