[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.

                          ____________________