III 

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 


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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; 


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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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates the month of August 2007 as 

3 ‘‘National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month’’; and 

4 (2) urges communities to carry out appropriate 

5 programs and activities to educate parents and 


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1 youth of the potential dangers associated with medi2 cine abuse. 

Æ 


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