BILL NUMBER: ACR 26	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER  16
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  APRIL 7, 2015
	ADOPTED IN SENATE  MARCH 26, 2015
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 12, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 12, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Levine
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen,
Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown,
Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper,
Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher,
Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez,
Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones,
Jones-Sawyer, Lackey, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes,
McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell,
Olsen, Patterson, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez,
Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner,
Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Wood)
   (Coauthor: Senator McGuire)

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2015

   Relative to Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 26, 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.




   WHEREAS, Drug overdose was the leading cause of injury and death
in 2012, and among people 25 to 64 years of age, drug overdose caused
more deaths than motor vehicle traffic crashes; and
   WHEREAS, Every day in the United States, 120 people die as a
result of drug overdose, and another 6,748 are treated in emergency
departments for the misuse or abuse of drugs; and
   WHEREAS, In 2013, drug overdoses in the United States caused
43,982 deaths and 22,767, or 52 percent, of those deaths were from
prescription drugs; and
   WHEREAS, In 2011, 2.5 million emergency department visits were
related to the misuse or abuse of pharmaceuticals; 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 the number of deaths from 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 National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day,
the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) collected
617,150 pounds (309 tons) of unwanted medication on Saturday,
September 27, 2014; and
   WHEREAS, The 2014 National Drug Control Strategy 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
storage 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 National Prescription Drug
Take-Back Day as declared by the DEA, and encourages 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 hereby declares March 2015
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 be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.