Alcohol tax hike would greatly expand addiction treatment in Oregon, but opponents say the state should use existing taxes

Tarra McCarthy working from home

Tarra McCarthy works from home in Southeast Portland while taking care of her son, Levi. March 4, 2021 Beth Nakamura/StaffThe Oregonian

Tarra McCarthy’s lucky break came in a moment that hovered between overdosing and sleeping, as she lethargically woke up to a detective’s phone call asking her to exit her apartment. Under the haze of fentanyl, she didn’t fully comprehend what was about to happen when she walked outside that December morning in Portland.

Police arrested the now 31-year-old that morning for a theft she’d committed a week earlier. The drug dealer she stole from had turned her in.

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