Full Text of SR0546 97th General Assembly
SR0546enr 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 546
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Prescription drug abuse has recently been | 3 | | classified as an epidemic by the Centers for Disease Control | 4 | | and Prevention; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, The consequences of our nation's fastest growing | 6 | | drug problem are spreading throughout Illinois, particularly | 7 | | in metropolitan areas; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Between 2004 and 2008, the estimated number of | 9 | | emergency department visits linked to the non-medical use of | 10 | | prescription pain relievers doubled; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, The increase in the percentage of admissions for | 12 | | abuse of pain relievers spans every age, gender, race, | 13 | | ethnicity, educational level, employment level, and region of | 14 | | the State; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Many individuals who misuse prescription drugs, | 16 | | particularly teens and some parents, believe these substances | 17 | | are safer than illicit drugs because they are prescribed by a | 18 | | healthcare professional and dispensed by a pharmacist; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use | 20 | | and Health, among persons aged 12 or older who used pain |
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| 1 | | relievers non-medically in the past 12 months, 55.9% got the | 2 | | pain relievers they most recently used from a friend or | 3 | | relative for free; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Drug-induced deaths now outnumber gunshot deaths | 5 | | in America and are fast approaching motor vehicle crashes as | 6 | | the leading cause of injury-related death; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, The Obama Administration recognizes the need to | 8 | | balance prevention, education, and enforcement, with the need | 9 | | for legitimate access to these controlled substances; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, The 2011 Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan | 11 | | reflects a national consultation process through which the | 12 | | Director of National Drug Control Policy consulted with mayors, | 13 | | health care professionals, law enforcement officials, and | 14 | | other local community leaders to identify the best approaches | 15 | | to use in combating prescription drug abuse; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, As a result of numerous visits to communities | 17 | | ravaged by prescription drug abuse, President Obama's | 18 | | Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan reflects a | 19 | | multifaceted approach that brings together a variety of | 20 | | federal, state, local, and tribal entities; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, The Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan |
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| 1 | | highlights 4 elements to help reduce the abuse of prescription | 2 | | drugs: education, prescription drug monitoring programs, | 3 | | proper medication disposal, and enforcement; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, The policies outlined in the Prescription Drug | 5 | | Abuse Prevention Plan, when implemented, should reduce public | 6 | | spending while improving public health; therefore, be it
| 7 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL | 8 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Illinois Senate | 9 | | declares June 2012 as Prescription Drug Safety Awareness Month | 10 | | in the State of Illinois and recognizes the Prescription Drug | 11 | | Abuse Prevention Plan's call to:
| 12 | | 1) educate the public about the dangers of abusing | 13 | | prescription drugs; | 14 | | 2) implement and enhance prescription drug monitoring | 15 | | programs in every state; | 16 | | 3) decrease the supply of unused prescription drugs in | 17 | | homes; and | 18 | | 4) provide law enforcement with the tools necessary to | 19 | | eliminate improper prescribing practices and stop "doctor | 20 | | shopping" and drug-seeking behaviors.
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