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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 225 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 225

   Designating the month of August 2007 as ``National Medicine Abuse 
                           Awareness Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 7, 2007

   Mr. Biden (for himself and Mr. Grassley) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Designating the month of August 2007 as ``National Medicine Abuse 
                           Awareness Month''.

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.
                                 <all>
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