![]() ![]() ![]() One of the main barriers preventing people with substance use issues from getting help is the perception that addiction forms due to a moral failing on the part of the individual. Whatever the case may be, the efforts of people like Pete Kerns and organizations such as Serenity Lane are making great strides in destroying the stigma around addiction treatment, allowing people to get the help they need. Others may view the stigma of addiction as too shameful to seek treatment. Some people may be hesitant to admit they have a problem because they see it as a personal failure. There are many reasons why someone with a family and career may avoid seeking treatment, even when substance use issues begin to affect their life in negative ways. Taking that into account, it’s safe to infer that learned behavior accounts for a large number of cases of alcohol use disorder. This means nearly 1 in 5 Oregon adults engage in excessive drinking on a regular basis. This is a full percent higher than the national average of 18.6%. In 2019, 19.6% of adults in Oregon reportedly engaged in chronic drinking or binge drinking at least once within a 30-day period. Studies have shown that children who grow up in an environment where they are exposed to alcoholism are up to 4 times as likely to develop alcohol use disorder themselves later in life. ![]() The environment in which a child is raised can have a tremendous impact on their social and behavioral development. “When children grow up in an environment where they are exposed to alcoholism or substance use, and the problems that they bring, it can put them on a certain trajectory.” While Pete continues his family’s legacy of care, he outlined the generational nature of substance use issues. He cited communities in states such as New Jersey and Rhode Island where people who enter the criminal justice system with substance use disorder are given access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) that allows them to regain control of their lives by holding down jobs and making a living without crime. As a result, crime rates are lower, and treatment for conditions such as substance use disorder are more vibrant.” “You’ll find that in other communities, particularly on the East Coast, that they provide more care for their communities. Government-funded mental health and substance use treatments, and everything that would go into a robust prevention program, would have positive impacts on the community, Pete said. All the things that go into that, including public education and intervention, doesn’t occur to the extent here in Oregon that it does in other places.” “We don’t have the capacity here to intervene. “We have fewer police per capita than any other state in the country,” he said. Pete also discussed how many of the substance use and mental health issues faced by the Oregon community are due to a lack of government resources. That never needed to happen if the availability of drug and alcohol treatment were greater for someone like that.” The Lack of Government Initiatives He was probably suffering from alcoholism. He had gone out drinking with his colleagues, had way too much to drink. “It was a tragic loss for the girl’s family, and it was a tragic loss for the driver’s family as well. He drove the wrong way over an overpass and killed an 18-year-old girl in high school who had a future ahead of her as well,” Pete said. “When I was a young patrol officer, I responded to a fatal car accident where the driver was a husband and father with a job and responsibilities and a good life ahead of him, a good life for his children ahead of them. Pete also shared a story from his early years with the Eugene Police Department about how the alcohol use of one family member can have profound effects on many people. Updating Serenity Lane’s Programming to Address Modern Issues. ![]()
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