Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 68 CHAPTER 157Relative to drug abuse. [ Filed with Secretary of State September 19, 2017. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSCR 68, Bates. Drug abuse awareness.This measure would designate the month of September 2017 as Opioid, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month, as specified.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill TextWHEREAS, Opioids are drugs that act on the nervous system to conceal pain; andWHEREAS, Today, prescription opioids are more widely used than tobacco; andWHEREAS, In 2015, more than 300,000,000 opioid prescriptions were written in the United States; andWHEREAS, From 1999 to 2015, more than 183,000 people died from overdoses related to prescription opioids; andWHEREAS, In 2015, 52,404 deaths in the United States were caused by a drug overdose, of which 63 percent of those overdoses involved opioids; andWHEREAS, Drug overdoses kill more people in one year than the number of motor vehicle fatalities in the United States; andWHEREAS, The use of fentanyl is on the rise, with nearly seven times more confiscations of fentanyl from 2012 to 2014, totaling 4,585 in 2014, according to the National Forensic Laboratory Information System; andWHEREAS, Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; andWHEREAS, Aggregate annual costs for prescription opioid overdose, abuse, and dependence were over $78.5 billion dollars; andWHEREAS, Abuse of opioid pain relievers is the strongest risk factor for heroin abuse; andWHEREAS, Seventy-five percent of new heroin users were first addicted to a legally prescribed prescription opioid; andWHEREAS, Many teens and young adults first use opioids when they are prescribed to them following an injury or routine procedure like the removal of wisdom teeth; andWHEREAS, Each day in the United States, 580 people initiate heroin use; andWHEREAS, Opioid use and misuse can create brain changes that lead to addiction; andWHEREAS, Most people who are addicted to opioids cannot taper off, or use less of the drug over time, without help; andWHEREAS, The long-term damage to individuals and families is highly detrimental; andWHEREAS, Each year, a week in September is designated as national Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates the month of September 2017 as Opioid, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month and encourages residents to show support for opioid and prescription drug awareness; and be it furtherResolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 68 CHAPTER 157Relative to drug abuse. [ Filed with Secretary of State September 19, 2017. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSCR 68, Bates. Drug abuse awareness.This measure would designate the month of September 2017 as Opioid, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month, as specified.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 68
CHAPTER 157
Relative to drug abuse.
[ Filed with Secretary of State September 19, 2017. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 68, Bates. Drug abuse awareness.
This measure would designate the month of September 2017 as Opioid, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month, as specified.
This measure would designate the month of September 2017 as Opioid, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month, as specified.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
WHEREAS, Opioids are drugs that act on the nervous system to conceal pain; and
WHEREAS, Today, prescription opioids are more widely used than tobacco; and
WHEREAS, In 2015, more than 300,000,000 opioid prescriptions were written in the United States; and
WHEREAS, From 1999 to 2015, more than 183,000 people died from overdoses related to prescription opioids; and
WHEREAS, In 2015, 52,404 deaths in the United States were caused by a drug overdose, of which 63 percent of those overdoses involved opioids; and
WHEREAS, Drug overdoses kill more people in one year than the number of motor vehicle fatalities in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The use of fentanyl is on the rise, with nearly seven times more confiscations of fentanyl from 2012 to 2014, totaling 4,585 in 2014, according to the National Forensic Laboratory Information System; and
WHEREAS, Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and
WHEREAS, Aggregate annual costs for prescription opioid overdose, abuse, and dependence were over $78.5 billion dollars; and
WHEREAS, Abuse of opioid pain relievers is the strongest risk factor for heroin abuse; and
WHEREAS, Seventy-five percent of new heroin users were first addicted to a legally prescribed prescription opioid; and
WHEREAS, Many teens and young adults first use opioids when they are prescribed to them following an injury or routine procedure like the removal of wisdom teeth; and
WHEREAS, Each day in the United States, 580 people initiate heroin use; and
WHEREAS, Opioid use and misuse can create brain changes that lead to addiction; and
WHEREAS, Most people who are addicted to opioids cannot taper off, or use less of the drug over time, without help; and
WHEREAS, The long-term damage to individuals and families is highly detrimental; and
WHEREAS, Each year, a week in September is designated as national Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates the month of September 2017 as Opioid, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month and encourages residents to show support for opioid and prescription drug awareness; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.