Amended in Assembly March 17, 2014

Amended in Assembly March 6, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 93

Introduced by Assembly Member Buchanan

February 11, 2014

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 93—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 begin delete . The Contra Costa
County Board of Supervisors support April 26, 2014, as “National
Prescription Drug Take Back Day,” as declared by the DEA, and
encourages residents to locate their collection site and safely
dispose of their accumulated unwanted and unused prescription
drugs end delete ; 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, begin delete the Contra Costa County Prescription Drug Abuse
Prevention Coalition, the Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board
in cooperation with the Contra Costa Behavioral Health Division’s
Alcohol and Other Drugs Services, the Contra Costa County Youth
Health Coalition, end delete law enforcement, community-based
organizations, alcohol and other drug service providers, and civic
and business leaders coordinate Prescription Drug Abuse
Awareness Month activities in begin delete the County of Contra Costa and end delete
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
begin delete the County of Contra Costa, end delete 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 begin delete Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
and the end delete Legislature begin delete support end delete begin insert supports end insert 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.