III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 685 

Designating June 26, 2022 as the ‘‘International Day against Drug Abuse 

and Illicit Trafficking’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 21, 2022 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. CORNYN, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. RISCH, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. HAWLEY, and Mr. 

LUJA ́N) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating June 26, 2022 as the ‘‘International Day 

against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking’’. 

Whereas the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘UNODC’’) estimated that 

275,000,000 individuals used illicit drugs worldwide in 

2019, a 22 percent increase from 2010; 

Whereas UNODC estimated that, globally, 36,300,000 individuals suffered from substance use disorders in 2019; 

Whereas the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration reported that, in 2020, 37,300,000 individuals 

aged 12 or older had used an illicit drug in the United 

States in the past month, and 41,100,000 individuals 


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•SRES 685 ATS 

aged 12 or older had needed substance abuse treatment 

in the past year; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘CDC’’) estimated that 

more than 107,000 individuals died from drug overdoses 

in 2021; 

Whereas, according to the CDC, synthetic drugs, such as 

fentanyl and methamphetamine, are among the primary 

drivers of overdose deaths in the United States; 

Whereas CDC data indicates that drug overdose deaths have 

accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic; 

Whereas the National Institute of Drug Abuse estimates that 

illicit drug use costs the United States $193,000,000,000 

annually in healthcare costs, crime, and lost productivity; 

Whereas the Drug Enforcement Administration reports that 

drug trafficking fuels the drug overdose epidemic in the 

United States and can lead to violence in communities 

throughout the country and the world; 

Whereas the Department of State reports that the illicit drug 

trade can undermine the rule-of-law and fuel corruption; 

and 

Whereas the United Nations General Assembly established 

June 26 as the ‘‘International Day against Drug Abuse 

and Illicit Trafficking’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) encourages access to prevention, treatment, 

3 and recovery programs for individuals with sub4 stance use disorders, including access to medication5 assisted treatment and telehealth services; 


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•SRES 685 ATS 

1 (2) commends the efforts of law enforcement 

2 agencies and officers to detect, curtail, and prevent 

3 drug trafficking and production domestically and 

4 internationally; 

5 (3) applauds the work of law enforcement agen6 cies, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges who 

7 work to connect individuals with a substance use dis8 orders to treatment; 

9 (4) supports research into treatments for sub10 stance use disorders; 

11 (5) encourages greater international cooperation 

12 to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and 

13 transnational criminal organizations involved in the 

14 illicit drug trade; 

15 (6) supports efforts to unravel financial net16 works that enable the illicit drug trade; 

17 (7) calls on other United Nations Member 

18 States to mark the ‘‘International Day against Drug 

19 Abuse and Illicit Trafficking’’; and 

20 (8) designates June 26, 2022 as the ‘‘Inter21 national Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Traf22 ficking’’. 

Æ 


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