[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 16, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6875-S6876]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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    SENATE RESOLUTION 614--DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2008 AS 
              ``NATIONAL MEDICINE ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH''

  Mr. Biden (for himself and Mr. Grassley) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 614

       Whereas over-the-counter and prescription medicines are 
     extremely safe, effective, and potentially lifesaving when 
     used properly;
       Whereas the abuse and recreational use of over-the-counter 
     and prescription medicines can be extremely dangerous and 
     produce serious side effects;
       Whereas in a recently sampled month, 7,000,000 individuals 
     aged 12 or older reported using prescription 
     psychotherapeutic medicines for nonmedical purposes;
       Whereas abuse of prescription medicines, including pain 
     relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives is second 
     only to marijuana, the number 1 illegal drug of abuse in the 
     United States;
       Whereas recent studies indicate that 2,400,000 children, or 
     1 in 10 children aged 12 through 17, have intentionally 
     abused cough medicine to get high from the ingredient 
     dextromethorphan;
       Whereas 4,500,000, or 1 in 5, young adults have used 
     prescription medicines for nonmedical purposes;
       Whereas according to research from the Partnership for a 
     Drug-Free America, more than \1/3\ of teens mistakenly 
     believe that taking prescription drugs, even if not 
     prescribed by a doctor, is much safer than using more 
     traditional street drugs;
       Whereas the lack of understanding by teens and parents of 
     the potential harms of these powerful prescription drugs 
     makes raising public awareness about the dangers of the 
     misuse of such drugs more critical than ever;
       Whereas misused prescription drugs are most often obtained 
     through friends and relatives;
       Whereas misused prescription drugs are also obtained 
     through rogue Internet pharmacies;
       Whereas parents should be aware that the Internet gives 
     teens access to websites that promote medicine abuse;
       Whereas National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month promotes 
     the messages that over-the-counter and prescription medicines 
     should be taken only as labeled or prescribed, and that 
     taking over-the-counter and prescription medicines for 
     recreational uses or in large doses can have serious and 
     life-threatening consequences;
       Whereas National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month will 
     encourage parents to become educated about prescription drug 
     abuse and talk to teens about all types of substance abuse;
       Whereas observance of National Medicine Abuse Awareness 
     Month should be encouraged at the national, State, and local 
     levels to increase awareness of the misuse of medicines;
       Whereas some groups, including the Consumer Healthcare 
     Products Association and the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of 
     America, have taken important steps by creating educational 
     toolkits, including ``A Dose of Prevention: Stopping Cough 
     Medicine Abuse Before it Starts'', which provides guides to 
     educate parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, doctors 
     and healthcare professionals, and retailers about the 
     potential dangers of abusing over-the-counter cough and cold 
     medicines;
       Whereas the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and 
     community alliance and affiliate partners have undertaken a 
     nationwide prevention campaign utilizing research-based 
     educational advertisements, public relations and news media, 
     and the Internet to inform parents about the negative teen 
     behavior of intentional abuse of medicines so that parents 
     are empowered to effectively communicate the facts about this 
     dangerous trend with teens and to take necessary steps to 
     safeguard prescription and over-the-counter medicines at 
     home; and
       Whereas educating the public about the dangers of medicine 
     abuse and promoting prevention is a critical component of 
     what must be a multi-pronged effort to curb the disturbing 
     rise in medicine misuse: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the month of August 2008 as ``National 
     Medicine Abuse Awareness Month''; and
       (2) urges communities to carry out appropriate programs and 
     activities to educate parents and youth about the potential 
     dangers associated with medicine abuse.

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a resolution 
marking August 2008 as National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. The 
intentional misuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs remains a 
serious problem in this country. This resolution builds on the progress 
we have made in raising teens' and parents' awareness of the issue, and 
it seeks to expand our educational efforts even further.
  While recent studies indicate that overall use of illegal drugs has 
remained relatively stable and use among teens has declined since 2002, 
the misuse of so-called ``legal'' medications is a serious and growing 
problem. The figures speak for themselves: 1 in 5 teens has misused a 
prescription drug, and more people age 12 or older have recently 
started abusing prescription pain relievers than started smoking 
marijuana.
  Abuse of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines is also alarming. 
While over-the-counter and prescription medicines are extremely safe 
and effective when used properly, the abuse and recreational use of 
these medicines can be lethal. A study by the Partnership for a Drug-
Free America indicates that 1 in 10 young people aged 12 through 17, or 
2.4 million kids, have intentionally abused cough medicine to get high 
off its active ingredient, Dextromethorphan, or DXM. In March, I 
chaired a hearing in the Judiciary Crime and Drugs Subcommittee whereat 
Misty Fetko told the tragic story of her son Carl's overdose death from 
a combination of painkillers and over-the-counter cough and cold 
medicine. These tragedies continue and we have got to work to stop this 
abuse.
  Educating teens and parents about the dangers of medicine abuse is an 
important component of solving this multifaceted problem. Too many 
teens think that prescription and over-the-counter medicines are safe 
anytime, in any dose, and even without a prescription or doctor 
supervision. They are gravely mistaken. Prescription drug abuse, 
without a valid prescription and close monitoring by a physician, can 
lead to dependency, overdose, and even death. Misuse of over-the-
counter medicines can similarly cause harmful results.
  Another reason driving this abuse is the fact that these drugs are 
cheap and easy to obtain. A bottle of cough syrup costs a few dollars 
at the local drug store and prescription drugs can often be found in 
unguarded medicine cabinets at home. A February 2007 report released by 
the office of National Drug Control Policy revealed that a shocking 47 
percent of youth got their prescription drugs for free from a relative 
or friend. Parents are becoming their kids' drug dealers and don't even 
know it.
  But we can turn these numbers around through robust education, 
awareness, and enforcement efforts--and that's just what National 
Medicine Abuse Awareness Month tries to accomplish by promoting the 
message that over-the-counter and prescription medicines must be taken 
only as labeled or prescribed, and that when used recreationally or in 
large doses they can have serious and life-threatening consequences. 
The resolution will help remind parents that access to drugs that are 
abused doesn't just happen in alleys and on the streets, but can often 
occur right in their medicine cabinets at home.
  A number of groups have proactively worked to curb this abuse and I 
hope this resolution pushes their efforts even further. For example, 
the Consumer Health Care Products Association and the Community Anti-
Drug Coalition of America have teamed up to

[[Page S6876]]

create educational toolkits, such as ``A Dose of Prevention: Stopping 
Cough Medicine Abuse Before It Starts,'' which include guides to 
educate parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, doctors and 
healthcare professionals, and retailers about the potential harms of 
over-the-counter drug abuse. In addition, the Partnership for Drug-Free 
America and its community alliance and affiliate partners are 
undertaking a nationwide prevention campaign that uses research-based 
educational advertisements, public relations, news media and the 
Internet to inform parents about the prevalence of intentional abuse of 
medicines among teens. These campaigns empower parents to effectively 
communicate the facts of this dangerous trend to their children and to 
take necessary steps to safely store prescription and over-the-counter 
medicines in their homes.
  I have long advocated robust prevention efforts as a key component to 
getting a handle on any substance abuse problem. As is the case with 
other substance abuse issues, prevention is just as important here and 
educating parents and teens about the realities of medicine abuse is 
critical. I hope this resolution encourages communities, companies, 
prevention organizations, parents and others to raise awareness about 
these dangers, talk to our kids, and keep advancing our efforts to 
prevent all types of substance abuse in this country.

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