[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 564 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 564

  Designating the month of October 2012 as ``National Medicine Abuse 
                           Awareness Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 19, 2012

 Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Udall of 
 New Mexico, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Portman, Mr. Coons, Mr. Rockefeller, 
  Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Casey) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Designating the month of October 2012 as ``National Medicine Abuse 
                           Awareness Month''.

Whereas over-the-counter and prescription medicines approved by the Food and 
        Drug Administration have been determined to be safe and effective when 
        used properly;
Whereas the misuse or abuse of these medicines can be extremely dangerous and 
        produce serious side effects;
Whereas the Office of National Drug Control Policy reports that medicine abuse 
        is the fastest-growing drug problem in the United States, and the 
        Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified medicine abuse 
        as an epidemic;
Whereas the 2011 Monitoring the Future survey, funded by the National Institutes 
        of Health, and the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 
        sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
        Administration, both illustrate that, after marijuana, over-the-counter 
        and prescription medicines account for the most frequently abused drugs 
        among 12th graders;
Whereas the access teenagers often have to prescription medicines in home 
        medicine cabinets and the lack of understanding by teenagers of the 
        potential harms of these powerful medicines make it more critical than 
        ever to raise public awareness about the dangers of medicine abuse;
Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration and many State and local law 
        enforcement agencies have established drug disposal programs (commonly 
        referred to as ``take-back programs'') to facilitate the collection and 
        destruction of unused, unwanted, or expired medications, thereby helping 
        to take outdated or unused medications off household shelves and out of 
        the reach of children and teenagers;
Whereas National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month promotes the message that over-
        the-counter and prescription medicines are to be taken only as labeled 
        or prescribed, and that using such medicines to get high or in large 
        doses can cause serious or life-threatening consequences;
Whereas observance of National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month should be 
        encouraged at the national, state, and local levels to increase 
        awareness of the abuse of medicines;
Whereas a nationwide prevention and education campaign has been launched by the 
        national organization that represents 5,000 anti-drug coalitions 
        nationwide, along with the association representing makers of over-the-
        counter medicines, to provide local coalitions with tools, training, and 
        outreach strategies to engage and educate parents, grandparents, 
        teachers, law enforcement officials, retailers, doctors, and other 
        healthcare professionals about the potential harms of cough medicine 
        abuse; and
Whereas educating the public about the dangers of medicine abuse, encouraging 
        parents to talk about medicine abuse with their teenagers, mobilizing 
        parents to safeguard their home medicine cabinets, and promoting abuse 
        prevention are critical components of what must be a multi-pronged 
        effort to curb over-the-counter and prescription medicine abuse: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates the month of October 2012 as ``National 
        Medicine Abuse Awareness Month''; and
            (2) urges communities to carry out appropriate programs and 
        activities to educate parents and youth of the potential 
        dangers associated with medicine abuse.
                                 <all>