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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The opioid epidemic in Illinois and across the | ||||||
| 3 | country has headlined the news the
past few years; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, In Illinois alone, the Illinois Department of | ||||||
| 5 | Public Health reports that of the 2,278
deaths from drug | ||||||
| 6 | overdose in 2016, over 80% were from opioids, a 70% increase | ||||||
| 7 | from 2013 and
a 32% increase from 2015; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, While we have been aware of this problem, the | ||||||
| 9 | solution has remained elusive; and | ||||||
| 10 | WHEREAS, The legal and medical communities have sought to | ||||||
| 11 | combat the
crisis by properly removing expired or unwanted | ||||||
| 12 | pills from the population through drug drop-off
boxes and mail | ||||||
| 13 | back programs; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Both ways have seen initial success throughout a | ||||||
| 15 | number of states, but the drop-off boxes
have been further | ||||||
| 16 | initiated than mail back programs here in Illinois, to the | ||||||
| 17 | point where some
have been overflowing; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, Pharmacies have started to install the boxes on | ||||||
| 19 | their own initiative, as a convenient
location and alternative | ||||||
| 20 | for those who may fear using one in a police station; and | ||||||
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| 1 | WHEREAS, It may be costly or problematic to require these | ||||||
| 2 | boxes, but for those who would like
to install one voluntarily, | ||||||
| 3 | over $281,000 has accrued in the Comptroller's Prescription | ||||||
| 4 | Pill and
Drug Disposal Fund; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, The changes adding drug disposal drop-off boxes | ||||||
| 6 | and mail-back programs to this
fund were established under 20 | ||||||
| 7 | ILCS 3930/9.3; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, The Illinois Criminal Justice Information | ||||||
| 9 | Authority was charged with adopting
rules and establishing | ||||||
| 10 | guidelines for grants by July 1, 2016, but no funds have been | ||||||
| 11 | released to
date; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, It would be in the best interest of the citizens | ||||||
| 13 | of Illinois to have these funds used for
their intended | ||||||
| 14 | purposes; therefore, be it
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| 15 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 16 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 17 | urge the
Office of the Comptroller to look into why these funds | ||||||
| 18 | have yet to be released and work to
release them as soon as may | ||||||
| 19 | be possible; and be it further
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| 20 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
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| 1 | presented to the Office of the
Comptroller.
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