BILL NUMBER: ACR 93	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 24, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 17, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 6, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Buchanan
    (   Coauthors:   Assembly Members 
 Achadjian,  Allen,   Ammiano,  
Atkins,   Bloom,   Bocanegra,   Bonilla,
  Bonta,   Bradford,   Brown,  
Ian Calderon,   Campos,   Chau,   Chesbro,
  Cooley,   Dababneh,   Dahle,  
Daly,   Dickinson,   Donnelly,   Fox,
  Frazier,   Beth Gaines,   Garcia, 
 Gatto,   Gomez,   Gonzalez,   Gordon,
  Gorell,   Gray,   Grove,  
Hagman,   Hall,   Harkey,   Roger
Hernández,   Holden,   Jones,  
Jones-Sawyer,   Levine,   Linder,   Logue,
  Lowenthal,   Maienschein,   Mansoor,
  Medina,   Melendez,   Mullin,  
Muratsuchi,   Nazarian,   Olsen,   Pan,
  Patterson,   Perea,   John A. Pérez,
  V. Manuel Pérez,   Quirk,   Quirk-Silva,
  Rendon,   Ridley-Thomas,   Rodriguez,
  Salas,   Skinner,   Stone,  
Ting,   Wagner,   Waldron,   Weber, 
 Wieckowski,   Wilk,   Williams,   and
Yamada   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 11, 2014

   Relative to Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 93, as amended, Buchanan. Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness
Month.
   This measure would proclaim the month of March 2014 as Drug Abuse
Awareness Month in California, and encourage all citizens to
participate in prevention programs and activities and to pledge to
"Spread the Word ... One Pill Can Kill."
   Fiscal committee: no.



   WHEREAS, There were more deaths caused by drug overdoses in 2010
than traffic accidents among people 25 to 64 years of age; and
   WHEREAS, In 2010, drug overdoses in the United States of America
caused 38,329 deaths and 22,134 of those deaths were from
prescription drugs; and
   WHEREAS, In 2011, an estimated 22.5 million Americans 12 years of
age or older used an illicit drug or abused a prescription drug in
the past month; and
   WHEREAS, In 2009, 1.2 million emergency department visits were
related to misuse or abuse of pharmaceuticals, an increase of 98.4
percent since 2004; and
   WHEREAS, Nonmedical use of prescription painkillers costs health
insurers up to $72.5 billion annually in direct health care costs;
and
   WHEREAS, Overdose deaths involving opioid pain relievers now
exceed more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined; and
   WHEREAS, As many as 70 percent of people who abuse prescription
drugs get them from a relative or friend instead of a doctor; and
   WHEREAS, During the last seven National Prescription Drug Take
Back Days, a total of 3.4 million pounds of medication were removed
from circulation and potential diversion by the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) and its state, local, and tribal law
enforcement, and community partners; and
   WHEREAS, The 2013 National Drug Control Study listed four
interventions to reduce prescription drug abuse, one of which was to
provide safe drug disposal by increasing return and take-back
programs. We support California acquiring a sustainably funded and
well publicized statewide medication take-back system that is much
more convenient to consumers than the current one-day events or
disposal at hazardous waste facilities; and
   WHEREAS, The National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse,
law enforcement, community-based organizations, alcohol and other
drug service providers, and civic and business leaders coordinate
Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month activities in California to
engage our citizens in demonstrating their commitment to prevention
campaigns and education aimed at raising awareness about the abuse
and misuse of prescription drugs, promoting prescription drug safe
storing and disposal, and using medications only as prescribed; and
   WHEREAS, Families, schools, businesses, faith-based communities,
law enforcement, medical professionals, county and local governments,
health care practitioners, and pharmacists in the state, and the
general public will demonstrate their commitment to the prevention of
prescription medication abuse by participating in activities
intended to highlight local efforts during the month of March; and
   WHEREAS, The Legislature supports April 26, 2014, as National
Prescription Drug Take-Back Day as declared by the DEA, and encourage
residents to locate their local collection site and safely dispose
of their accumulated unwanted and unused prescription drugs; now,
therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature does hereby declare March
2014, as Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month, and encourages all
citizens to actively participate in prevention programs and
activities, and to safely store and dispose of their medications on a
continual basis, and to encourage all community members to pledge,
"Spread the Word ... One Pill Can Kill"; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
                                                    ____ CORRECTIONS
Heading--Coauthors--Page 1.
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