[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 82 (Thursday, June 22, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6422-S6423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. DURBIN:
  S. 3557. A bill to reduce deaths occurring from overdoses of drugs or 
controlled substances; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, on the first Monday and Tuesday of June, 
14 people in Chicago died from an apparent overdose of heroin laced 
with fentanyl. That brings to 74 the lives lost to heroin and fentanyl 
in Cook County, IL, this year.
  We know that abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise. The 
manufacture of mind-altering substances is getting easier. Meanwhile, 
Chicago first responders have treated more than 600 drug overdoses 
since April. Today I am introducing the Drug Overdose Reduction Act to 
strengthen and expand the work our communities are doing to prevent 
overdose deaths from both prescription drug and illicit drug abuse.
  The legislation authorizes funding to train first responders, law 
enforcement officials and corrections officials on how to recognize and 
respond to an overdose. Funding also would be available for drug 
overdose prevention programs that provide direct services to people 
most at risk of an overdose death.
  The act would support the important work of organizations like the 
Chicago Recovery Alliance, which works with a population of people at 
high risk for overdose deaths. Dr. Sarz Maxwell, medical director for 
the Alliance, said she knows of several people whose lives have been 
saved by the consumer education the group provides.
  These local outreach and education efforts may be the best tool we 
have right now for saving lives that would otherwise be lost to drug 
overdoses. By implementing the Drug Overdose Prevention Act, we can 
avert the tragic deaths caused by the most recent wave of deadly 
heroin.
  One of the victims in Chicago was just 17 years old. Joseph graduated 
from high school on Sunday and was found dead in the back of his car on 
Tuesday.
  Deaths like this are tragic for those who have died and their 
families, but also for the high schools and communities they grew up 
in. A Chicago police official was quoted in the New York Times saying 
that it appeared the drug cocktail had killed the young man instantly. 
Perhaps his death contributed to the decision at the Substance Abuse 
and Mental Health Administration 2 days later to issue an alert to 
rehab centers and addiction specialists about the heroin mixed with 
fentanyl.
  I am encouraged that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 
working with Chicago police, this week descended on what they believe 
is the headquarters for local distribution of this deadly drug. I 
commend the law enforcement officials who are cracking down on illicit 
drug traffic in my home State of Illinois and across the country. Their 
work is fundamental to a comprehensive response to senseless deaths due 
to drug overdoses.
  The time has come to put an end to these tragedies. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting the Drug Overdose Reduction Act to 
bring resources to community-based efforts to prevent unnecessary 
deaths by providing information about the dangers of drug abuse, how to 
find help to break addictions and how to stay alive in the interim.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3557

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Drug Overdose Reduction 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 
     that 28,723 deaths in the United States in 2003 were 
     attributable to drug-induced causes.
       (2) Deaths resulting from drug overdoses have increased 540 
     percent between 1980 and 1999.
       (3) According to the Federal Drug Abuse Warning Network, 
     most drug-induced deaths involve multiple drugs.
       (4) An increase in the number of deaths attributable to 
     heroin mixed with fentanyl, a narcotic considered 50 to 100 
     times more potent than morphine, has been documented in 2005 
     and 2006.
       (5) An estimated 3,000,000 individuals in the United States 
     have serious drug problems.
       (6) The damage caused by drug use is not limited to drug 
     abusers. The collateral damage from drug use is enormous, and 
     drug abuse costs society over $60,000,000,000 in social costs 
     and lost productivity.
       (7) Community-based programs working with high-risk 
     populations have successfully prevented deaths from drug 
     overdoses through education and access to effective reversal 
     agents, such as naloxone.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Controlled substance.--The term ``controlled 
     substance'' has the meaning given the term in section 102 of 
     the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802).
       (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
     the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
       (3) Drug.--The term ``drug'' has the meaning given the term 
     in section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 
     (21 U.S.C. 321)).
       (4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an 
     entity that is a State, local, or tribal government, or a 
     private nonprofit organization.

     SEC. 4. OVERDOSE PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAM.

       (a) Program Authorized.--From amounts appropriated under 
     this section for a fiscal year, the Director shall award 
     grants or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to

[[Page S6423]]

     enable the eligible entities to reduce deaths occurring from 
     overdoses of drugs or controlled substances.
       (b) Application.--
       (1) In general.--An eligible entity desiring a grant or 
     cooperative agreement under this section shall submit to the 
     Director an application at such time, in such manner, and 
     containing such information as the Director may require.
       (2) Contents.--The application described in paragraph (1) 
     shall include--
       (A) a description of the activities the eligible entity 
     will carry out if the entity receives funds under this 
     section;
       (B) a demonstration that the eligible entity has the 
     capacity to carry out the activities described in 
     subparagraph (A); and
       (C) a certification that the eligible entity meets all 
     State licensure or certification requirements necessary to 
     carry out the activities.
       (c) Priority.--In awarding grants or cooperative agreements 
     under subsection (a), the Director shall give priority to 
     eligible entities that are public health agencies or 
     community-based organizations and that have expertise in 
     preventing deaths occurring from overdoses of drugs or 
     controlled substances in populations at high risk of such 
     deaths.
       (d) Eligible Activities.--An eligible entity receiving a 
     grant or cooperative agreement under this section shall carry 
     out 1 or more of the following activities:
       (1) Training first responders, people affected by drug 
     abuse, and law enforcement and corrections officials on the 
     effective response to individuals who have overdosed on drugs 
     or controlled substances.
       (2) Implementing programs to provide overdose prevention, 
     recognition, treatment, or response to individuals in need of 
     such services.
       (3) Evaluating, expanding, or replicating a program 
     described in paragraph (1) or (2) that exists as of the date 
     the application is submitted.
       (e) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the last day of 
     the grant or cooperative agreement period, each eligible 
     entity receiving a grant or cooperative agreement under this 
     section shall prepare and submit a report to the Director 
     describing the results of the program supported under this 
     section.
       (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for 
     each of the fiscal years 2007 and 2008, and such sums as may 
     be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2011.

     SEC. 5. REDUCING OVERDOSE DEATHS.

       (a) Data Collection.--The Director shall annually compile 
     and publish data on the deaths occurring from overdoses of 
     drugs or controlled substances for the preceding year.
       (b) Plan to Reduce Overdose Deaths.--Not later than 180 
     days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director 
     shall develop a plan to reduce the number of deaths occurring 
     from overdoses of drugs or controlled substances and shall 
     submit the plan to Congress. The plan shall include--
       (1) an identification of the barriers to obtaining accurate 
     data regarding the number of deaths occurring from overdoses 
     of drugs or controlled substances;
       (2) an identification of the barriers to implementing more 
     effective overdose prevention strategies; and
       (3) recommendations for such legislative or administrative 
     action that the Director considers appropriate.

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