Enrolled September 03, 2019 Passed IN Senate August 19, 2019 Passed IN Assembly August 30, 2019 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20192020 REGULAR SESSION Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 64Introduced by Senators Bates and HillAugust 12, 2019Relative to drug abuse.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSCR 64, Bates. Drug abuse awareness.This measure would designate the month of September 2019 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, Between 2006 and 2012, pharmaceutical companies produced 76 billion opioids that were distributed in the United States; andWHEREAS, In 2017, more than 21 million opioid prescriptions were written in California; andWHEREAS, From 1999 to 2017, inclusive, almost 400,000 people died from overdoses related to opioids; andWHEREAS, In 2017, 47,600 deaths in the United States were caused by a drug overdose involving opioids; andWHEREAS, Drug overdoses kill more people in one year than do 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, inclusive, 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 estimated at over $78.5 billion in 2013; 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, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends nonopioid pharmacologic therapy and if opioids are used, they should be combined with nonopioid therapy, as appropriate; andWHEREAS, In 2016, the federal Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee developed a National Pain Strategy, noting that effective pain care must emphasize shared decisionmaking, informed pain assessment, and integrated, multimodal, and interdisciplinary treatment approaches that balance effectiveness with safety; 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 2019 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.
Enrolled September 03, 2019 Passed IN Senate August 19, 2019 Passed IN Assembly August 30, 2019 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20192020 REGULAR SESSION Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 64Introduced by Senators Bates and HillAugust 12, 2019Relative to drug abuse.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSCR 64, Bates. Drug abuse awareness.This measure would designate the month of September 2019 as Opioid, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month, as specified.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO
Enrolled September 03, 2019 Passed IN Senate August 19, 2019 Passed IN Assembly August 30, 2019
Enrolled September 03, 2019
Passed IN Senate August 19, 2019
Passed IN Assembly August 30, 2019
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20192020 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Concurrent Resolution
No. 64
Introduced by Senators Bates and HillAugust 12, 2019
Introduced by Senators Bates and Hill
August 12, 2019
Relative to drug abuse.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 64, Bates. Drug abuse awareness.
This measure would designate the month of September 2019 as Opioid, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month, as specified.
This measure would designate the month of September 2019 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, Between 2006 and 2012, pharmaceutical companies produced 76 billion opioids that were distributed in the United States; and
WHEREAS, In 2017, more than 21 million opioid prescriptions were written in California; and
WHEREAS, From 1999 to 2017, inclusive, almost 400,000 people died from overdoses related to opioids; and
WHEREAS, In 2017, 47,600 deaths in the United States were caused by a drug overdose involving opioids; and
WHEREAS, Drug overdoses kill more people in one year than do 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, inclusive, 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 estimated at over $78.5 billion in 2013; 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, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends nonopioid pharmacologic therapy and if opioids are used, they should be combined with nonopioid therapy, as appropriate; and
WHEREAS, In 2016, the federal Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee developed a National Pain Strategy, noting that effective pain care must emphasize shared decisionmaking, informed pain assessment, and integrated, multimodal, and interdisciplinary treatment approaches that balance effectiveness with safety; 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 2019 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.