[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 53 (Wednesday, March 18, 2020)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 15339-15340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05795]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 53 / Wednesday, March 18, 2020 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 15339]]


                Proclamation 9995 of March 13, 2020

                
 National Poison Prevention Week, 2020

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Far too often, American families bear the burden of 
                preventable tragedies caused by unintentional 
                poisonings. Each day, more than 300 children are 
                treated for poisonings in emergency rooms across the 
                United States. These incidents frequently involve 
                ordinary household items like cleaning products and 
                medicines, including opioids, which are toxic but may 
                be attractive to children because of their bright 
                colors and sweet smells. The responsibility for 
                ensuring that these dangerous products are out of sight 
                and out of reach of our youth falls on all of us. 
                During National Poison Prevention Week, we reaffirm our 
                commitment to raising awareness of the realities of 
                unintentional poisonings and overdoses in our country, 
                and of the ways Americans can educate themselves to 
                avoid accidental injury, overdose, or death in their 
                homes and communities.

                Every American has a role to play in preventing 
                accidental poisonings and overdoses. Twice per year, my 
                Administration hosts national drug ``Take Back Day'' 
                events for Americans to help protect against the 
                accidental ingestion, misuse, or abuse of prescription 
                drugs by turning in expired or unneeded medications to 
                be disposed of safely. Locking up medications after use 
                and asking local pharmacies or police departments for 
                ways to promptly dispose of expired, unwanted, or 
                unused medications properly can also help prevent 
                tragedies from occurring. In the event of an accidental 
                poisoning, quick action could save a life, and expert 
                help is always available through poison control 
                centers. These centers are vital lifelines used by 
                millions of Americans annually, and they serve the 
                public, healthcare providers, public safety personnel, 
                health departments, and law enforcement officials 
                around the clock.

                Each day, many American families suffer from the pain 
                caused by an opioid overdose death. My Administration 
                is committed to helping eradicate drug addiction from 
                our society and to preventing drug overdoses, which are 
                now the leading cause of accidental death in the United 
                States. Over the last 3 years, the Department of Health 
                and Human Services has awarded nearly $9 billion in 
                grants to address the opioid crisis and improve access 
                to prevention, treatment, and recovery services. As a 
                part of my Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse, I announced 
                a plan to decrease the amount of opioid prescription 
                fills by one-third within 3 years. And in October 2018, 
                I signed into law the SUPPORT Act, the largest and most 
                comprehensive piece of legislation to combat the opioid 
                crisis, which expands access to drug-disposal programs 
                and to evidence-based treatment for opioid use 
                disorder. Thanks to our efforts, in 2018, overdose 
                deaths fell nationwide for the first time in decades, 
                and the amount of opioids prescribed nationally since 
                2017 decreased by 35 percent. Additionally, an 
                increasing number of Americans are receiving life-
                saving medication-assisted treatment for drug 
                addiction.

                No American should perish as a result of unintended 
                exposure to poisons or accidental overdoses. This week, 
                we recommit to taking the critical precautions 
                necessary to prevent the deadly realities of 
                unintentional poisonings and drug overdoses, and we ask 
                all Americans to do their part to raise awareness to 
                help combat these issues.

[[Page 15340]]

                To encourage Americans to learn more about the dangers 
                of unintentional poisonings and to take appropriate 
                preventative measures, on September 26, 1961, the 
                Congress, by joint resolution (75 Stat. 681), 
                authorized and requested the President to issue a 
                proclamation designating the third week of March each 
                year as ``National Poison Prevention Week.''

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 15, 
                2020, through March 21, 2020, to be National Poison 
                Prevention Week. I call upon all Americans to observe 
                this week by taking actions to safeguard their families 
                from poisonous products, chemicals, medicines, and 
                drugs found in their homes, and to raise awareness 
                about these dangers in order to prevent accidental 
                injuries and deaths.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and forty-fourth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2020-05795
Filed 3-17-20; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F0-P