ACR 26, as introduced, Levine. Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month.
This measure would proclaim the month of March 2015 as Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month and encourage all citizens to actively participate in prevention programs and activities, and to safely store and dispose of their medications on a continual basis.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, Drug overdose was the leading cause of injury and
2death in 2012, and among people 25 to 64 years of age, drug
3overdose caused more deaths than motor vehicle traffic crashes;
4and
5WHEREAS, Every day in the United States, 120 people die as
6a result of drug overdose, and another 6,748 are treated in
7emergency departments for the misuse or abuse of drugs; and
8WHEREAS, In 2013, drug overdoses in the United States caused
943,982 deaths and 22,767, or 52 percent, of those deaths were from
10prescription drugs; and
11WHEREAS, In 2011, 2.5 million emergency department visits
12were related to the misuse or abuse of pharmaceuticals; and
P2 1WHEREAS, Nonmedical use of prescription painkillers costs
2health insurers up to $72.5 billion annually in direct health care
3costs; and
4WHEREAS, Overdose deaths involving opioid pain relievers
5now exceed the number of deaths from heroin and cocaine
6combined; and
7WHEREAS, As many as 70 percent of people who abuse
8prescription drugs get them from a relative or friend instead of a
9doctor; and
10WHEREAS, During the last National Prescription Drug
11Take-Back Day, the United States Drug Enforcement
12Administration (DEA) collected 617,150 pounds (309 tons) of
13unwanted medication on Saturday, September 27, 2014; and
14WHEREAS, The 2014 National Drug Control Strategy listed
15four interventions to reduce prescription drug abuse, one of which
16was to provide safe drug disposal by increasing return and
17take-back programs. We support California acquiring a sustainably
18funded and well publicized statewide medication take-back system
19that is much more convenient to consumers than the current
20one-day events or disposal at hazardous waste facilities; and
21WHEREAS, The National Coalition Against Prescription Drug
22Abuse, law enforcement, community-based organizations, alcohol
23and other drug service providers, and civic and business leaders
24coordinate Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month activities
25in California to engage our citizens in demonstrating their
26commitment to prevention campaigns and education aimed at
27raising awareness about the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs,
28promoting prescription drug safe storage and disposal, and using
29medications only as prescribed; and
30WHEREAS, Families, schools, businesses, faith-based
31communities, law enforcement, medical professionals, county and
32local governments, health care practitioners, and pharmacists in
33the state, and the general public will demonstrate their commitment
34to the prevention of prescription medication abuse by participating
35in activities intended to highlight local efforts during the month
36of March; and
37WHEREAS, The Legislature supports National Prescription
38Drug Take-Back Day as declared by the DEA, and encourages
39residents to locate their local collection site and safely dispose of
P3 1their accumulated unwanted and unused prescription drugs; now,
2therefore, be it
3Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
4thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby declares March
52015 as Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month and encourages
6all citizens to actively participate in prevention programs and
7activities, and to safely store and dispose of their medications on
8a continual basis; and be it further
9Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
10of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
O
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