[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17414]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                NATIONAL MEDICINE ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH

  The resolution (S. Res. 225) designating the month of August 2007 as 
``National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month,'' was agreed to. The 
preamble was agreed to. The resolution, with its preamble, reads as 
follows:

                              S. Res. 225

       Whereas over-the-counter and prescription medicines are 
     extremely safe, effective, and potentially lifesaving when 
     used properly, but the abuse and recreational use of these 
     medicines can be extremely dangerous and produce serious side 
     effects;
       Whereas 6,400,000 individuals who are age 12 or older 
     reported using prescription medicines non-medically in a 
     recently sampled month, and abuse of prescription medications 
     such as 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 1 in 10 youth ages 12 
     through 17, or 2,400,000 children, has intentionally abused 
     cough medicine to get high from its dextromethorphan 
     ingredient, and 1 in 5 young adults (4,500,000) has used 
     prescription medicines non-medically;
       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 street 
     drugs;
       Whereas teens' and parents' lack of understanding of the 
     potential harms of these powerful medicines makes it more 
     critical than ever to raise public awareness about the 
     dangers of their misuse;
       Whereas, when prescription drugs are misused, they are most 
     often obtained through friends and relatives, but are also 
     obtained through rogue Internet pharmacies;
       Whereas parents should be aware that the Internet gives 
     teens access to websites that promote medicine misuse;
       Whereas National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month promotes 
     the message that over-the-counter and prescription medicines 
     are to be taken only as labeled or prescribed, and when used 
     recreationally or in large doses can have serious and life-
     threatening consequences;
       Whereas National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month will 
     encourage parents to educate themselves about this problem 
     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 rising misuse of 
     medicines;
       Whereas some groups, such as the Consumer Healthcare 
     Products Association and the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of 
     America, have taken important proactive steps like creating 
     educational toolkits, such as ``A Dose of Prevention: 
     Stopping Cough Medicine Abuse Before it Starts'', which 
     includes guides to educate parents, teachers, law enforcement 
     officials, doctors and healthcare professionals, and 
     retailers about the potential harms of cough and cold 
     medicines and over-the-counter drug abuse;
       Whereas the nonprofit Partnership for a Drug-Free America 
     and its 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 of this dangerous trend with their teens 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 is a critical component of 
     what must be a multi-pronged effort to curb this disturbing 
     rise in over-the-counter and cough medicine misuse: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the month of August 2007 as ``National 
     Medicine Abuse Awareness Month''; and
       (2) urges communities to carry out appropriate programs and 
     activities to educate parents and youth of the potential 
     dangers associated with medicine abuse.

                          ____________________