[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 129 (Monday, October 1, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S10024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           NATIONAL ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION RECOVERY MONTH

  On September 26, 2001, the Senate amended and passed S. Res. 147, as 
follows:

                              S. Res. 147

       Whereas alcohol and drug addiction is a devastating disease 
     that can destroy lives, families, and communities;
       Whereas according to a 1992 National Institute on Drug 
     Abuse study, the direct and indirect costs in the United 
     States for alcohol and drug addiction was $246,000,000,000, 
     in that year;
       Whereas scientific evidence demonstrates the crucial role 
     that treatment plays in restoring those suffering from 
     alcohol and drug addiction to more productive lives;
       Whereas in 1999, research at the National Institute on Drug 
     Abuse at the National Institutes of Health showed that about 
     14,800,000 Americans were users of illicit drugs, and about 
     3,500,000 were dependent on illicit drugs; an additional 
     8,200,000 were dependent on alcohol;
       Whereas the 1999 National Household Survey of Drug Abuse, a 
     project of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
     Administration, showed that drug use varies substantially 
     among States, ranging from a low of 4.7 percent to a high of 
     10.7 percent for the overall population, and from 8.0 percent 
     to 18.3 percent for youths age 12-17;
       Whereas the Office of National Drug Control Policy's 2001 
     National Drug Control Strategy includes the reduction of the 
     treatment gap for individuals who are addicted to drugs as 
     one of the top 3 goals for reducing the health and social 
     costs to the public;
       Whereas the lives of children, families, and communities 
     are severely affected by alcohol and drug addiction, through 
     the effects of the disease, and through the neglect, broken 
     relationships, and violence that are so often a part of the 
     disease of addiction;
       Whereas a National Institute on Drug Abuse 4-city study of 
     1,200 adolescents found that community-based treatment 
     programs can reduce drug and alcohol use, improve school 
     performance, and lower involvement with the criminal justice 
     system;
       Whereas a number of organizations and individuals dedicated 
     to fighting addiction and promoting treatment and recovery 
     will recognize the month of September of 2001 as National 
     Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month;
       Whereas the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
     Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, in 
     conjunction with its national planning partner organizations 
     and treatment providers, have taken a Federal leadership role 
     in promoting Recovery Month 2001;
       Whereas National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month 
     aims to promote the societal benefits of substance abuse 
     treatment, laud the contributions of treatment providers, and 
     promote the message that recovery from substance abuse in all 
     its forms is possible;
       Whereas the 2001 national campaign embraces the theme of 
     ``We Recover Together: Family, Friends and Community'', and 
     highlights the societal benefits, importance, and 
     effectiveness of drug and treatment as a public health 
     service in our country; and
       Whereas the countless numbers of those who have 
     successfully recovered from addiction are living proof that 
     people of all races, genders, and ages recover every day from 
     the disease of alcohol and drug addiction, and make positive 
     contributions to their families, workplaces, communities, 
     States, and the Nation: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the month of September of 2001 as ``National 
     Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month''; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation urging 
     the people of the United States to carry out appropriate 
     programs and activities to demonstrate support for those 
     individuals recovering from alcohol and drug addition.

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