A reckoning with drugs in Oregon

A reckoning with drugs in Oregon

In 2020, the people of Portland, Oregon - a famed city of progressives and counterculture - voted to pass Measure 110, the USA’s boldest drug policy reform yet. It came after years of campaigning, and was aimed at inverting the thinking of the war on drugs.

Measure 110 decriminalised possession of all illicit substances, including heroin, methamphetamine and oxycodone. The campaigners accurately predicted that the new law would ease tensions around racial disparities within policing, but it also coincided with the spread of the deadly and addictive drug fentanyl, and a tidal wave of homelessness.

Fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin, and is now the drug of choice for nearly all heroin users. It’s also more deadly - activists and the police now regularly carry the opioid-blocking drug Narcan to treat people overdosing on the streets. Homelessness also continues to rise as the cheap and available fentanyl spreads, creating an epidemic on two fronts.

Local journalist Winston Ross explores the complex issues behind Portland’s fentanyl crisis, speaking across the political divide and to many of those in the eye of the storm.

Jaksot(2000)

When Christian nationalists come to town

When Christian nationalists come to town

People in Gainesboro, Tennessee, have some new neighbours. A conservative developer has bought land just outside the tiny rural Appalachian town, with the aim of forging an “aligned” community based o...

30 Joulu 202526min

Haroon Mirza: Creating a sculpture with light, sound and video

Haroon Mirza: Creating a sculpture with light, sound and video

Following his time at Cern, Haroon Mirza has been creating a major installation based on his research there. The piece, made with his collaborator Jack Jelfs, is a sculptural art work which uses a cir...

29 Joulu 202526min

BBC correspondents' look ahead to 2026

BBC correspondents' look ahead to 2026

James Coomarasamy speaks to BBC correspondents around the world about the people and places, trends and technology that they are going to be keeping an eye on over the next 12 months. Much of that wi...

28 Joulu 202549min

Not-so-golden weddings

Not-so-golden weddings

Gold prices have reached record highs this year, resulting in changes in buying habits, investment patterns and traditional customs. For the Fifth Floor, BBC language service journalists reflect on ch...

27 Joulu 202526min

Why I chose to adopt

Why I chose to adopt

Actress Jennifer Aniston sparked controversy recently when she said that, despite years of unsuccessful fertility treatment, she is not interested in adopting a baby. Instead, she wants “my own DNA in...

27 Joulu 202522min

The lord and dance: Michael Flatley

The lord and dance: Michael Flatley

Michael Flatley is the most famous Irish dancer in the world, rising to stardom for his leading roles in Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. Colm Flynn travels to meet Flatley at home, where he reflects...

26 Joulu 202526min

The gift of science

The gift of science

Our present to you is the science of gifts. First, we investigate the health benefits of donating blood, and find out about the predator sharing a feast of food in the Arctic. We are then joined in th...

25 Joulu 202549min

Bonus: 2025 in conversations from The Interview

Bonus: 2025 in conversations from The Interview

2025 on The InterviewIn 2025, the BBC launched The Interview, bringing you the best conversations from across the BBC. People shaping our world from all over the world.This special episode for The Doc...

24 Joulu 202526min

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