Ingesting, inhaling, igniting, injecting or consuming an illegal controlled substance on public transit vehicles in Oregon is now punishable under the crime of Interfering with Public Transportation

Illegal drug use on board transit vehicles in Oregon, including on TriMet’s buses and trains, is now classified as a crime under the state’s Interfering with Public Transportation statute. The offense is now a Class A misdemeanor – the most serious of misdemeanors under Oregon criminal law – thanks to the implementation of Senate Bill 1553 on Jan. 1, 2025. Those found guilty face up to 364 days in jail, a $6,250 fine or both. TriMet and law enforcement partners with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office stood together on Jan. 7, to welcome the new effort to address the public use of illicit drugs.   

“What sets this drug law apart from others is its focus on public transit,” TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. said. “We believe public transit merits distinct treatment due to the greater harm on board drug use causes, as you cannot simply move away from it. This new law is helping make public transit vehicles into ‘safe zones,’ where not only is drug use illegal, it comes with stiffer penalties.”

“Every rider of public transportation has a right to breathe air that is not polluted with fentanyl or other illegal smoke,” Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said. “Smoking illegal drugs on a bus or train is dangerous and wrong. This new law does not allow deflection, and it’s a crime that we will prosecute.”

“Senate Bill 1553 provides law enforcement a valuable tool to address drug use on public transportation and in the community,” Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell said.

Differences in recent Oregon drug law changes

The Oregon Legislature passed two laws in 2024 that recriminalized illicit drug use – House Bill 4002 and Senate Bill 1553. The laws gave law enforcement new tools to address open use of hard drugs, which has become both a public safety and a public health issue.  

Here are the differences between the two laws:

House Bill 4002:

• Recriminalized the possession of small amounts of hard drugs, giving law enforcement the authority to cite and arrest people for the Class B misdemeanor of unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
• Punishable by up to 180 days in jail or, where offered, a drug deflection program.

Senate Bill 1553:

• Added use of illegal drugs on board transit vehicles to the offenses that fall under the Interfering with Public Transportation criminal statute.
• Punishable by up to 364 days in jail, a $6,250 fine or both, and individuals may receive access to state-funded treatment.  

What riders should do if they see drug use on TriMet

If someone witnesses illicit drug use or possession, whether on board a TriMet bus or train, or at a train station, bus stop or transit center, text or call TriMet’s 24-hour security hotline at 503-238-7433 (RIDE).  

Please provide basic details, like the name of the MAX station or transit center, your vehicle number (located inside all buses and trains) and any other information that may be helpful.

In an emergency, always alert the operator or text or call 911.

Increased safety for transit riders and employees

Despite TriMet’s continued safety and security efforts, the open use of drugs in the communities we serve extends onto our transit system at times. That creates an unpredictable and potentially dangerous situation for transit riders and employees. Public spaces, including public transit, should feel safe and comfortable for everyone to use, particularly for families, essential workers, high school students, individuals with disabilities, and other Oregonians who depend on transit to reach jobs, education and health care.

The passage of Senate Bill 1553 was due to the hard work of the Oregon Transit Association, TriMet and our fellow transit agencies in Oregon, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757, the legislators who actively worked to get it passed and those who supported it, including state Sen. Kate Lieber, who sponsored the legislation, and Gov. Tina Kotek, who signed it into law.

TriMet continually works to improve security on our transit system for the safety of our riders and employees.

• We have more than doubled the number of safety, security and customer service staff on our transit system since 2022. Today, we have about 475 personnel who are dedicated to helping keep our system safe.

• We’ve recently added a 24-hour Security Operations Center, where dispatchers coordinate safety and security responses to issues such as vandalism and loud or disruptive behavior reported by riders via our security hotline set up in 2023.

• We have also improved lighting at stations and parking lots, upgraded security cameras and installed blue-light security phones as some MAX stations that connect riders directly with our Security Operations Center.  

Learn more about security on TriMet at trimet.org/security, and find more information about our teams at trimet.org/personnel.