[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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