Lars Larson: Oregon’s failed drug hotline

By Lars Larson
NW and national radio host,

Over the last few weeks, as President Trump has cut federal workers by the tens of thousands, the most frequent suggestion I get is…” Why isn’t there a state-level DOGE” or Department of Government efficiency?

It’s a great idea.  Washington State already has made such an effort, and I hope Oregon follows.

Consider the examples you can easily find.  The Oregon Health Authority just extended a contract for a “helpline” designed for drug addicts.

The new deal pays more than 116-thousand dollars a month for a system that takes roughly one call per day.

That’s almost four thousand bucks per call.

This nonsense started after a George Soros-funded pro-narcotics group on the East Coast talked Oregon voters into legalizing all dangerous drugs.

Fentanyl overdoses soared.

But the helpline was there, so when the police wrote an addict a ticket that they didn’t even have to pay, in theory, they could call the number and get into treatment.

No evidence exists that any drug users got treatment, let alone kicked the drugs.

But, just like the billions funneled into foolish federal programs, the folks who run these programs keep counting their cash…while the body bags pile up.