PROCLAMATION
DECLARING MARCH 2023 PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH WHEREAS, When used as prescribed by a doctor, prescription medicines such as stimulants, sedatives and opioids can be helpful in treating many illnesses, but when these medications are misused, they can have serious consequences; and WHEREAS, Many prescription drugs can alter a person’s thinking and judgment, and can lead to health risks, including addiction, drugged driving, infectious disease, and adverse effects on pregnancy; and WHEREAS, Anyone who takes prescription opioids can become addicted to them. In fact, as many as one in four patients receiving long-term opioid therapy in a primary care setting struggles with opioid use disorder (OUD); WHEREAS, Prescription opioid overdose deaths also often involve benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants used to sedate, induce sleep, prevent seizures, and relieve anxiety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends avoiding taking benzodiazepines while taking prescription opioids whenever possible due to the risk of overdose3; and WHEREAS, In 2021 in Contra Costa County there were 498,097 opioid prescriptions given to patients which is an age-adjusted rate of 349.6 per 1,000 residents, higher than the state rate of 321.7; and WHEREAS, In 2021, a total of 21,016 emergency department visits occurred in California that were related to any opioid overdose and 341 of those visits occurred in Contra Costa County4; and WHEREAS, According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 106,699 drug overdose deaths occurred nationally in 2021, 80,411 were from opioids5 and 183 of those opioid related overdose deaths occurred in Contra Costa County4; and WHEREAS, Synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl) and stimulants such as methamphetamine were the main drivers of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 20215 ; and WHEREAS, To help prevent substance use disorder and overdose deaths, the Hercules City Council encourages community members to dispose of their expired and unwanted prescription drugs throughout the year and safely store those still needed; and WHEREAS, The Contra Costa County Medication Education and Disposal Safety (MEDS) Coalition engages all community members in the county to participate in Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month activities to raise prescription drug safety awareness.
THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED THAT the City of Hercules does hereby declare March 2023 as Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month, and encourages all citizens to participate in prescription drug abuse related prevention programs and activities. Be it further proclaimed that the Hercules City Council encourages all community members to pledge to, “Spread the Word… One Pill Can Kill”. https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/prescription-medicines https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/commonly-used-drugs-charts#prescription-opioids https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/prescribed.html
https://skylab.cdph.ca.gov/ODdash/?tab=CTY
5 https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates