Senate Passes Ayotte Resolution Designating National Drug Take-Back Week and Heroin Abuse Awareness Month

Press Release

On Wednesday, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) designating the week of October 27-November 2 as "National Drug Take-Back Week" and the month of October as "National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Abuse Awareness Month." The resolution supports the goals of drug take-back efforts and calls for greater attention to the public health hazards of prescription drug abuse and heroin use.

"In New Hampshire and nationwide, we are facing a heroin crisis that is taking lives and devastating communities and families," said Senator Ayotte. "Abuse of prescription painkillers is too often a gateway to heroin use and addiction, and this bipartisan legislation will promote efforts to identify solutions to combat prescription opioid and heroin abuse, raise greater awareness, and encourage the safe disposal of unused and unwanted drugs."

Passage of Ayotte's resolution follows the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) release this week of a long overdue final rule which will allow Americans to safely return unused and unwanted prescription drugs to pharmacies, as well as mail them to other authorized collectors such as libraries and senior centers. The DEA rule will be implemented next month and will allow for a more convenient way for the disposal of prescription drugs, which can be dangerous when misused or abused. According to a 2014 study conducted by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, over 70 percent of American teenagers reported that they could easily access prescription drugs, often by way of their parent's medicine cabinets. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2011, 55 percent of the more than 41,000 unintentional overdose deaths in the United States involved prescription drugs-and 74 percent of the deaths related to prescription drug overdose involved prescription opioids.

As New Hampshire attorney general from 2004 to 2009, Ayotte led the New Hampshire Drug Task Force and worked closely with state and local law enforcement to boost efforts to combat drug abuse, drug-trafficking and other drug-related crimes. She has been a strong advocate for Byrne JAG, which helps bolster crime-fighting and drug treatment efforts at the state and local levels.

The resolution resolves that the Senate:

* Encourages a continuous national dialogue on efforts to combat prescription opioid abuse and heroin addiction;

* Supports a holistic approach to addressing prescription opioid and heroin abuse, including through law enforcement and first responder initiatives, international drug interdiction, and treatment, recovery, prevention, and education efforts;

* Recognizes the commitment of Federal, State, and local law enforcement personnel, first responders, firefighters, treatment providers, researchers, prescribers, pharmacists, dispensers, medical boards, manufacturers, and community organizations to addressing prescription opioid abuse and heroin addiction;

* Supports the goals of drug take-back efforts by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the State, local, and tribal law enforcement partners of the DEA, and encourages the expansion of such efforts;

* Designates the week of October 27 through November 2, 2014, as "National Drug Take-Back Week";

* Encourages media organizations to bring awareness to prescription opioid and heroin use, particularly among the youth in the United States; and

* Designates October 2014 as "National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Abuse Awareness Month."

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