HR0824 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0824 LRB098 17319 GRL 54534 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to encourage schools to educate youth on the dangers of heroin; and

WHEREAS, Heroin is one of the most dangerous and addictive substances and its surge in use among teenagers demands immediate action; and

WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control, deaths from drug overdose, especially from heroin, have been rising steadily over the past 2 decades and have become the leading cause of injury and death in the United States, especially in rural areas; and

WHEREAS, The number of people who say they have used heroin in the last year has jumped 53.5% from 2002 to 2011; and

WHEREAS, Drug overdose death rates have been rising steadily since 1992, with a 102% increase from 1999 to 2010 alone; and

WHEREAS, Every day in the United States, 105 people die as a results of drug overdose; another 6,748 people are treated in emergency departments for the misuse or abuse of drugs; and

WHEREAS, According to "Heroin Use in Illinois: A Ten-year Multiple Indicator Analysis", the Chicago metropolitan area was ranked among the worst nationally for heroin-related problems, including ranking first in the number of individuals admitted to the emergency room for heroin abuse and first in percentage of arrests testing positive for heroin; and

WHEREAS, The study found a large increase in deaths from heroin overdoses in the collar counties, including a 130% increase in Lake County from 2000 to 2009, a 150% increase in McHenry County in a 3-year period, a doubling of heroin related deaths in Will County in a period of 2 years, and a total of 78 heroin-related deaths in DuPage County over a 3-year period, indicating that heroin remains a problem in DuPage County; and

WHEREAS, The study also found the increase in suburban heroin abuse has resulted from increased heroin use among teens, including a 27% increase in suburban Cook County and a 46% increase in the collar counties; and

WHEREAS, In 2008, over 100 individuals in the Chicago Metropolitan Area under the age of 35 died from a heroin overdose; and

WHEREAS, Heroin has become the second most common drug after alcohol and the most common illegal substance for which individuals enter treatment in Illinois, compared to the fourth most common reason Illinoisans entered publicly-funded treatment in 1998; and

WHEREAS, Heroin abuse destroys lives and tears entire communities apart; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge all schools in the State of Illinois to educate youth about the dangers associated with the use of heroin and the escalating numbers of accidental deaths due to heroin overdoses; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we state the opinion that comprehensive drug education programs, including the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, serve as valuable tools in presenting the facts and dangers related to heroin use to Illinois youth; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage schools to especially encourage awareness on Illinois Heroin Abuse Awareness Day on November 4, 2014.