Officials from TriMet and Multnomah County law enforcement held a press briefing on Monday to mark the ratcheting up of penalties for illegal drug use on public transit, if not a new increase in enforcement. Passed by the legislature last year, Senate Bill 1553 became effective Jan. 1. It makes illegal drug use on public transit a Class A misdemeanor, the highest misdemeanor under Oregon law, punishable by up to 364 days in jail, a $6,250 fine or both. “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.” Get the full story tonight at 6:30 on KGW, or download the KGW+ app now on Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV to find The Story on demand. #thestorykgw Watch more The Story videos: http://bit.ly/watchTheStory Follow The Story on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheStoryKGW Follow The Story on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thestorykgw