(PORTLAND, Ore.) Hello Portlanders! It's Wednesday, Feb. 1 - Here's your daily round up of all the news happening in the City of Roses.
1. Local lawmakers considering protections for staff who administer Narcan in schools
There’s been a push recently to get overdose reversal drug naloxone, or Narcan, into Oregon schools and legislators are considering protections for those who administer the life-saving drug. Senate Bill 665, signed into law in 2019, offers protection for a person administering naloxone or any other live-saving measure in good faith. House Bill 2883, which allows staff to administer the drug without parent approval, would close any other loopholes.
The 2019 bill focused on allowing trained staff to administer naloxone. According to Kelly Sloop, the director of nonprofit Need4Narcan, the new bill will allow all staff to administer the drug. She says there’s no reason not to give Narcan if you suspect an overdose.
“If you give Narcan to someone who is not experiencing an opiate overdose, it will not harm them,” Sloop told KOIN. “It’s always best to err on the side of caution and give somebody who’s unconscious Narcan.”
House Bill 2883, which was referred to the Behavioral Health and Health Care committee earlier this month, is currently working its way through the Oregon Legislature.
2. Black History Festival NW hosting events throughout February
February is Black History Month and in Portland, celebrations are kicking off with the Black History Festival NW. The festival will begin with the Black History Month Proclamation at Portland City Hall on Wednesday, and will continue to host events highlighting African-American culture all month.
Black History Festival NW will also put a spotlight on Black businesses and artists in Portland. Portlanders may see art installations going up at local businesses and in libraries.
There will also be a BIPOC drag show and a flash mob at the Portland Winter Light Festival later this month. The full list of events can be found on Black History Festival NW’s website.
3. Portland nowhere near most dangerous cities in the country, FBI crime data shows
According to a new study that examines crime data collected by the FBI, Portland is not even close to one of the most dangerous cities in the country, despite frequent negative media coverage. An article published by Forbes on Tuesday lists the most dangerous and the safest cities in the U.S. Despite statistics showing that violent crime rates decreased throughout the U.S. last year, many Americans continue to have concerns about crime amid an increase in mass shootings.
The FBI’s 2021 crime statistics include violent crimes like murder, rape and severe assault, as well as home burglaries and car thefts. The data was examined by MoneyGeek to create this year’s ranking, examining 263 cities with a population of more than 100,000. The top three most dangerous cities were St. Louis, Missouri; Mobile, Alabama; and Birmington, Alabama, respectively.
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