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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 495 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 495

   Designating June 8, 2006, as the day of a National Vigil for Lost 
                                Promise.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 25, 2006

   Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mr. Biden, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Specter, Mr. 
Durbin, Mr. Talent, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Dodd, and Ms. Murkowski) submitted 
      the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Designating June 8, 2006, as the day of a National Vigil for Lost 
                                Promise.

Whereas over 26,000 citizens die from the effects of drug abuse each year;
Whereas the damage from drugs is not limited to drug abusers, the collateral 
        damage from drugs is enormous, and drug abuse costs society over 
        $60,000,000,000 in social costs and lost productivity;
Whereas drugs rob users, their families, and all the people of the United States 
        of dreams, promises, ambitions, talents, and lives;
Whereas drug abuse affects millions of families in the United States;
Whereas the stigma of drug abuse and the cloak of denial keep many individuals 
        and families from dealing with the impact of drugs;
Whereas many friends and families are ashamed to acknowledge the death of their 
        loved ones caused by drug abuse;
Whereas all the people of the United States can benefit from illuminating the 
        problem of drug abuse and its impact on families, communities, and 
        society;
Whereas the futures of thousands of youth of the United States have been cut 
        short because of drug abuse, including the life of--

    (1) Irma Perez, who suffered and died of an Ecstasy overdose at age 14;

    (2) David Manlove, who wanted to be a doctor, but died from inhalant 
abuse at age 16;

    (3) David Pease, an articulate debater, who died of a heroin overdose 
at age 23;

    (4) Ian Eaccarino, a college student who died of a heroin overdose at 
age 20;

    (5) Jason Surks, who was studying to be a pharmacist, but died of 
prescription drug abuse at age 19;

    (6) Kelley McEnery Baker, who died of an overdose of Ecstasy at age 23;

    (7) Ryan Haight, who died of an overdose of prescription drugs he had 
purchased over the Internet at age 18; and

    (8) Taylor Hooton, a high school baseball star whose life was cut short 
by steroids at age 16;

Whereas these deaths represent only a small sample of the lost promise that drug 
        abuse has cost the future of the United States;
Whereas law enforcement, public health and research organizations, community 
        coalitions, drug prevention outreach organizations, individual parents, 
        siblings, friends, and concerned citizens are joining together on June 
        8, 2006, in a Vigil for Lost Promise, to call public attention to the 
        tremendous promise which has been lost with the deaths of those affected 
        by drugs: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates June 8, 2006, as the day of a National Vigil 
        for Lost Promise;
            (2) encourages all young people to choose to live a drug-
        free life;
            (3) encourages all people of the United States to work to 
        stop drug abuse before it starts and remain vigilant against 
        the far reaching loss of promise caused by deaths from drug 
        abuse; and
            (4) encourages all citizens of the United States to 
        remember the lost promise of youth caused by drug abuse on this 
        day.
                                 <all>
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