Abbey Stamp is taking on a new role that will put her at the heart of Oregon’s fentanyl overdose crisis – and the next chapter of the state’s effort to combat drug addiction. The 51-year-old longtime Multnomah County administrator will start Oct. 15 as the new executive director of the Oregon Health Authority’s Measure 110 program.
Stamp is taking the helm at a time when Measure 110 has reached a crossroads since Oregon voters passed it in 2020 to decriminalize low-level drug possession and plow millions into programs for drug users. The state will recriminalize low-level drug possession on Sept. 1 as counties establish deflection programs to divert people to treatment.
For the last 11 years, Stamp has been executive director of Multnomah County’s Local Public Safety Coordinating Council, which works on criminal justice reform issues and policies in the state’s largest county. In an interview with the Capital Chronicle, Stamp said she wants to change the perception of Measure 110, which fell out of favor among law enforcement agencies and the public over the lack of enforcement for drug possession. Stamp said it was “really devastating” to her personally that the term “Measure 110” had become a derogatory term.
“I’d like to contribute what I can to change that,” Stamp said. “Measure 110 funding is still intact, and it can still do important things in our communities to help folks get on the journey towards recovery.” Change of approach The measur.