[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 135 (Tuesday, September 13, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5580-S5582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 261--DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2011 AS
``NATIONAL MEDICINE ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH''
Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr.
Whitehouse, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Manchin, and Mr. Portman)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary:
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S. Res. 261
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 abuse of such medicines can be extremely
dangerous and produce serious side effects;
Whereas according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration's 2010 National Survey on Drug Use
and Health, the nonmedical use of prescription drugs has
risen, with 2.5 percent of the population engaging in
nonmedical use of prescription drugs in 2008 and 2.8 percent
of the population engaging in such use in 2009;
Whereas the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
illustrates that the abuse of prescription medications such
as pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives
is second only to marijuana, the most commonly abused illegal
drug in the United States;
Whereas the 2010 Monitoring the Future survey, funded by
the National Institutes of Health, indicates that
approximately 5 percent of teenagers in the United States
report having abused an over-the-counter cough medicine to
get high, and prescription and over-the-counter drugs account
for 8 of the 14 most frequently abused drugs by students in
grade 12;
Whereas the 2010 Monitoring the Future survey also
indicates that the intentional abuse of cough medicine among
students in grades 8, 10, and 12 is at 3.2 percent, 5.1
percent, and 6.6 percent, respectively;
Whereas according to research from The Partnership at
DrugFree.org, more than one-third of teenagers mistakenly
believe that taking prescription drugs, even if not
prescribed by a doctor, is much safer than using street
drugs;
Whereas the lack of understanding by teenagers and parents
of the potential harm of such powerful medicines makes it
more critical than ever to raise public awareness about the
dangers of the abuse of such drugs;
Whereas when prescription drugs are abused, such drugs are
most often obtained through friends and relatives;
Whereas parents should be aware that the Internet gives
teenagers access to websites that promote the abuse of
medicines;
Whereas the designation of ``National Medicine Abuse
Awareness Month'' promotes the message that over-the-counter
and prescription medicines should be taken only as labeled or
prescribed, and such medicines can have serious or life-
threatening consequences when used to get high or in large
doses;
Whereas the designation of ``National Medicine Abuse
Awareness Month'' will encourage parents to educate
themselves about the problem of abuse of over-the-counter and
prescription medicines, and talk to their 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 abuse of medicines;
Whereas educational tools, training programs, and
strategies have been developed by the national organization
that represents 5,000 anti-drug coalitions nationwide and the
association representing makers of over-the-counter
medicines, in order to help local coalitions demonstrate the
best ways to engage and educate parents and grandparents,
teachers, law enforcement officials, doctors, other
healthcare professionals, and retailers about the potential
harms of cough medicine abuse;
Whereas a partnership of nonprofit associations
specializing in raising media awareness about substance abuse
and organizations that represent the leading makers of over-
the-counter drugs have developed a nationwide prevention
campaign that utilizes 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, in order to empower
parents to effectively communicate with their children about
this dangerous trend and to take necessary steps to safeguard
prescription and over-the-counter medicines in their homes;
and
Whereas educating the public on the dangers of medicine
abuse and promoting prevention of medicine abuse are critical
components of what must be a multi-pronged effort to curb
prescription and over-the-counter medicine abuse: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) designates the month of October 2011 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.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to introduce a resolution
designating October 2011 as National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month
with my colleagues and friends, Senators Charles Grassley, Richard
Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse, Dick Durbin, Jay Rockefeller, Joe
Manchin and Rob Portman.
According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, prescription
drug abuse is our Nation's fastest-growing drug problem. The U.S.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 2010
National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that the non-medical use
of prescription drugs rose from 2.5 percent of the population in 2008
to 2.8 percent in 2009. The 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
illustrates that the abuse of prescription medications such as pain
relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives is second only to
marijuana, the number one illegal drug of abuse in the United States.
Sadly the number of people who have unintentionally overdosed on
prescription drugs is rising rapidly. The misconception that taking
prescription drugs, even if not prescribed by a doctor is safer than
using street drugs is becoming more and more widespread, as seen in the
number of visits by individuals to hospital emergency rooms involving
the misuse or abuse of pharmaceutical drugs which has doubled over the
past five years.
Throughout National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month, we encourage
communities to promote the message that over-the-counter and
prescription medicines are to be taken only as labeled or prescribed
and to encourage safe disposal of unused medications. Educating the
public on the dangerous consequences of taking prescription drugs to
get high or in large doses is critical.
We applaud the efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA,
and local and State law enforcement agencies across the country to
collect potentially dangerous, expired, unused or unwanted medications
during their nationwide prescription drug ``take back'' campaign. We
invite our colleagues to join us in continuing the efforts of the DEA
and partnering organizations to combat the misuse of psychotherapeutic
medications by designating October 2011 as National Medicine Abuse
Awareness Month. This is an opportunity for Americans to reaffirm our
national, State and local level commitment to living healthy, drug-free
lifestyles.
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am pleased to join Senator Feinstein
in cosponsoring a resolution designating the month of October 2011 as
National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. The abuse of prescription
drugs and cold medicine is currently the fastest growing drug abuse
trend in the country. According to the most recent National Survey of
Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), more and more people are turning to using
controlled substances without a doctor's prescription. The same survey
shows that nearly one-third of all respondents who initiated drug use
in the past year used prescription drugs. People between the ages of 12
and 25 are the most common group to abuse these drugs.
More people are dying because of this abuse. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention reports that the unintentional deaths involving
prescription narcotics increased 117 percent from the years 2001 to
2005. In my home State of Iowa, the Governor's Office of Drug Control
Policy reports that at least 40 people died from an overdose of
prescription painkillers in 2009. This represents a sharp increase in
the last decade when only three people died from painkiller overdoses
in 2000.
Abuse of over-the-counter, OTC, cough and cold medicines is also
alarming. While these common cold medicines are safe and effective if
used properly, the abuse of these medicines can also be destructive.
According to a study conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free
America, nearly 1 in 10 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 have
intentionally abused cough medicine to get high off its main ingredient
dextromethorphan. This is a problem that cannot be ignored.
Millions of Americans use these medicines every year to treat a
variety of symptoms due to injury, depression, insomnia, and the
effects of the common cold. Many legitimate users of these drugs often
do not use as much medication as the prescription contains. As a
result, these drugs remain in the family medicine cabinet for months or
years because people forget about them or do not know how to properly
dispose of them. However, many of these drugs, when not properly used
or administered, are just as addictive and deadly as street drugs like
methamphetamine or cocaine.
According to the NSDUH, more than half of the people who abuse these
drugs reported that they obtained OTC
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and prescription drugs from a friend or relative or from the family
medicine cabinet. As a result, groups and organizations like the Drug
Enforcement Administration, the Office of National Drug Control Policy,
the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, the Consumer Healthcare
Products Association, and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America have
been reaching out to communities throughout the Nation to raise
awareness of this growing drug abuse trend and encourage communities to
tackle the problem head on. Many community antidrug coalitions,
including those in Iowa, public health officials, and law enforcement
officials have been holding townhalls, organizing community ``clean out
your medicine cabinet'' events, and holding many other events to raise
awareness of this growing abuse in an effort to reverse this trend.
We can stop the growing trend of medicine abuse in its tracks, but it
will require all sectors of the community to join together to make it
happen. The National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month resolution promotes
the message that over-the-counter and prescription medicines must be
taken as directed, and when used recreationally or in large doses they
can have serious and deadly consequences. This 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 the home. I
urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.
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