MEDFORD, Ore. — According to Oregon Recovers, an addiction advocacy group, Oregon ranks 50th in the amount of access there is to addiction treatment. The state also has the 4th highest addiction rate in the nation.
They say nearly 2,100 people die from an addiction every year in Oregon.
To fight this problem, Oregon Recovers has partnered with Medford City councilors and commissioners to bring more light to the issue.
Advocates say when the cities take a public stand, there’s more of an impact at that state level to get something done.
“There’s a lot of people out there that are dying and they’re too ashamed to come forward and ask for help so part of getting the community involved is building that awareness,” Kelly Rene, Southern Oregon Recovers Advocacy Committee, said. “It’s important, really important having that unity in our community.”
The organization is hosting a walk for recovery in Medford on the 13th.
Advocates say they hope this will push the governor to come up with a statewide addiction recovery plan.
Some components to that plan include access to more treatment programs as well as continuing support after treatment.
You can find more information on the walk at walk4recovery.org
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