P1 1WHEREAS, More deaths were caused by drug overdoses in
22010 than traffic accidents among people 25 to 64 years of age;
3and
4WHEREAS, In 2010, drug overdoses in the United States
5resulted in 38,329 deaths, of which 22,134 were from prescription
6drugs; and
7WHEREAS, In 2011, an estimated 22.5 million Americans who
8are 12 years of age or older indicated in response to a survey that
9they had used an illicit drug or abused a prescription drug in the
10previous month; and
11WHEREAS, In 2009, 1.2 million emergency department visits
12were related to misuse or abuse of pharmaceuticals, which is an
13increase of 98.4 percent from 2004; and
14WHEREAS, Nonmedical use of prescription painkillers costs
15health insurers up to $72.5 billion annually in direct health-care
16costs; and
17WHEREAS, Overdose deaths involving opioid pain relievers
18now exceed deaths caused by heroin and cocaine combined; and
19WHEREAS, As many as 70 percent of people who abuse
20prescription drugs get them from a relative or friend instead of a
21doctor; and
22WHEREAS, The 2013 National Drug Control Strategy listed
23four interventions to reduce prescription drug abuse, one of which
24is to provide safe drug disposal by increasing the number of
25take-back programs to provide a well-publicized statewide
P2 1medication take-back system that is much more convenient to
2consumers than the current one-day events or disposal at hazardous
3waste facilities; and
4WHEREAS, During the last seven of the National Prescription
5Drug Take-Back Days operated by the federal Drug Enforcement
6Administration (DEA), a total of 3.4 million pounds of medication
7were removed from circulation and potential diversion by the DEA
8and its state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community
9partners; and
10WHEREAS, The Legislature supports April 26, 2014, as
11National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day as declared by the
12DEA, which encourages residents to locate their local collection
13site and safely dispose of their accumulated unwanted and unused
14prescription drugs; and
15WHEREAS, The National Coalition Against Prescription Drug
16Abuse (NCAPDA) was established to help reduce the number of
17deaths and addictions caused by prescription drug abuse, through
18implementing a nationwide awareness campaign, initiating and
19supporting pertinent legislative actions, and through partnerships
20with educational, medical, law enforcement, and other appropriate
21entities; and
22WHEREAS, NCAPDA links existing community based entities
23throughout the United States under NCAPDA to share best
24practices, develop and share useful material resources, and establish
25and implement a cohesive, nationwide awareness campaign
26regarding the dangers of prescription drug abuse; and
27WHEREAS, Families, schools, businesses, faith-based
28communities, law enforcement, medical professionals, county and
29local governments, health care practitioners, pharmacists, and the
30general public will demonstrate their commitment to the prevention
31of prescription medication abuse by participating in activities
32intended to highlight local efforts during the month of March; now,
33therefore, be it
34Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate
35declares March 2014, as Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness
36Month, and encourages all citizens to participate in prevention
37programs and activities, and to safely store and dispose of their
38medications; and be it further
P3 1Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
2this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
O
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