[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 143 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5933-S5934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRATULATING NUNAKA VALLEY LITTLE LEAGUE
______
NATIONAL MEDICINE ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
the Judiciary Committee be discharged from the following resolutions en
bloc, and the Senate proceed to their consideration en bloc: S. Res.
273 and S. Res. 261.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk
will report the resolutions by title.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 273) congratulating the Nunaka Valley
Little League junior girls softball team on their performance
in the Junior League Softball World Series.
A resolution (S. Res. 261) designating the month of October
2011 as ``National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month.''
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. I ask unanimous consent the resolutions be
agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be
laid upon the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate, and
any related statements be printed in the Record as if read.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolutions were agreed to.
The preambles were agreed to.
The resolutions, with their preambles, read as follows:
S. Res. 273
Whereas the Nunaka Valley Little League junior girls
softball team is comprised of young women from Anchorage,
Alaska, who play softball;
Whereas the Nunaka Valley Little League junior girls
softball team compiled an impressive record in the 2011
regular season, outscoring opponents 428 to 83;
Whereas the Nunaka Valley Little League junior girls
softball team was undefeated in the district and State
tournaments on the way to winning the Alaska State
Championship;
Whereas the Nunaka Valley Little League junior girls
softball team was undefeated in 4 games and won the West
Regional Tournament held in Marana, Arizona;
Whereas in August, 2011, the Nunaka Valley Little League
junior girls softball team represented the West Region at the
Junior League Softball World Series in Kirkland, Washington;
Whereas in 2011, Nunaka Valley Little League junior girls
softball team manager Richard Knowles led the team to the
Junior League Softball World Series for the second time in 3
years;
Whereas in 2011, the Nunaka Valley Little League junior
girls softball team won 4 games and lost just 2 games en
route to a third place finish in the Junior League Softball
World Series;
Whereas more than 2,000 teams and 30,000 players compete in
Junior League Girls Softball each year;
Whereas the Nunaka Valley Little League junior girls
softball team finished the 2011 season ranked third in the
world;
Whereas the hard work and dedication of the entire Nunaka
Valley Little League junior girls softball team and the
support of their families led the team to success in 2011;
Whereas Little League softball and baseball has provided a
positive athletic experience and fostered teamwork and
sportsmanship to millions of children in the United States
and around the world; and
Whereas Alaskans everywhere are proud of the Nunaka Valley
Little League junior girls athletes, Jacynne Augufa, Leilani
Blair, Heather Breslin, Metanoya Fiame, Morgan Hill, Julia
Merritt, Gabrielle Meyerson, Taria Page, Hannah Peterson,
Sydney Smith, Lauren Syrup, and Nanea Tali, on the 2011
softball season: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) congratulates the athletes, parents, and coaching staff
of the Nunaka Valley Little League junior girls softball team
on an impressive 2011 season; and
(2) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate to
transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to--
(A) the Nunaka Valley Little League President, Greg Davis;
and
(B) the Nunaka Valley Little League junior girls softball
team manager, Richard Knowles, and coaches Rick Peterson and
Richard Hill.
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
[[Page S5934]]
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.
____________________