Oregon’s decision to recriminalize drugs was the first of many necessary steps, according to state House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich. The new law, which reverses a 2020 decriminalization, took effect Sunday.

“You saw the overdose deaths, you saw the street drug use, you saw the crime, you saw the homelessness, all of that went up after the Democrats put those policies in place. And they could have stopped it, but they didn’t,” Helfrich said Tuesday in an interview with “Fox & Friends.”

The new law, HB 4002, introduces tougher penalties for selling drugs in public places and makes possession of drugs for personal use a misdemeanor.

Under the new law, people caught possessing small amounts of hard drugs such as fentanyl, heroin or methamphetamine would be able to choose between a possession charge or a treatment program that would include completing a mental health program to avoid a fine.

A syringe box stands on the street as a Portland police officer investigates a drug deal and issues a ticket for possession of narcotics during a patrol in downtown Portland, Oregon, January 25, 2024. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

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Addiction and drug-related deaths have skyrocketed in the years following Oregon’s 2020 decriminalization, which was approved by 58% of voters. The law has been described as the most liberal drug law ever enacted in the U.S.

“Unfortunately, because we decriminalized it for a few years, we lost, I think, a generation of people to these drugs. And you won’t have those times again,” Helfrich said.

“People can’t even go out and take their kids to the park because they’re dealing with death, they’re dealing with drugs, they’re dealing with all these bad things that are happening. And it’s just terrible politics.”

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The new law will make it easier for police to crack down on people using drugs in public places, a problem that has become widespread in parts of the state.

Offenders who choose treatment programs will have to meet strict eligibility criteria to avoid charges, Portland Police Chief Bob Day told the Guardian, mandating that those caught in possession “must have no other charges, no warrants, no violent behavior, be medically stable.”

While the new law is now in effect statewide, Helfrich expressed the need for more action to address the state’s drug crisis.

“It’s unfortunate that you have these big donors across the country who are using Oregon as a petri dish and experimenting, trying to create this utopian world, and you can’t do it. We need more Republicans in power to solve this problem.”

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Michael Lee and Michael Dorgon of Fox News contributed to this report.