BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | ACR 26| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- THIRD READING Bill No: ACR 26 Author: Levine (D), et al. Amended: 3/12/15 in Assembly Vote: 21 ASSEMBLY FLOOR: Read and adopted, 3/12/15 SUBJECT: Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month SOURCE: Author DIGEST: This resolution proclaims the month of 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. ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative findings: 1.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. 2.In 2013, drug overdoses in the United States caused 43,982 deaths and 22,767, or 52%, of those deaths were from prescription drugs. 3.Nonmedical use of prescription painkillers costs health ACR 26 Page 2 insurers up to $72.5 billion annually in direct health care costs. 4.Overdose deaths involving opioid pain relievers now exceed the number of deaths from heroin and cocaine combined; and as many as 70% of people who abuse prescription drugs get them from a relative or friend instead of a doctor. 5.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. This resolution proclaims the month of 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. Prior Legislation ACR 93 (Buchanan, Resolution Chapter 23, Statutes of 2014) proclaimed the month of March 2014 as Drug Abuse Awareness Month in California, and encouraged all citizens to participate in prevention programs and activities, and to pledge to "Spread the Word ... One Pill Can Kill." SCR 8 (DeSaulnier, Resolution Chapter 26, Statutes of 2013) proclaimed the month of March, each year, as Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month and encouraged all citizens to participate in prevention programs and activities and to pledge to "Spread the Word ... One Pill Can Kill." ACR 26 Page 3 FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.:NoLocal: No SUPPORT: (Verified3/24/15) RxSafe Marin OPPOSITION: (Verified3/24/15) None received Prepared by:Melissa Ward / SFA / (916) 651-1520 3/25/15 17:37:47 **** END ****