HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-2017-015 Supports the Combined Efforts of U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) & the Dept. of Justice (DOJ) to Curtail the Overprescribing of Opioids by Physicians Through Education & Other Means RESOLUTION NO. 2017-015
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DANIA
BEACH, FLORIDA, SUPPORTING THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF THE
UNITED STATES CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
("CDC") AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ("DOJ") TO CURTAIL THE
OVERPRESCRIBING OF OPIOIDS BY PHYSICIANS THROUGH MORE
PHYSICIAN EDUCATION AS WELL AS BETTER RISK ASSESSMENT OF
PATIENTS; SUPPORTING THE STRENGTHENING OF PRESCRIPTION
DRUG MONITORING PROGRAMS IN EVERY STATE AND ENSURING
SAFE DRUG DISPOSAL; SUPPORTING THE EFFORTS OF THE CITY-
COUNTY NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC TO
PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES; PROVIDING FOR
CONFLICTS; FURTHER, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Dania Beach, Florida, recognizes that
the current heroin and prescription opioid epidemic is one of the most urgent law enforcement
and public health challenges facing our country; and
WHEREAS, opioids are a class of drugs that includes the illegal drug heroin as well as
power pain relievers available by prescription, such as oxycodone (oxycontin), hydrocodone
(vicodin), codeine, morphine, fentanyl, methadone, and many others; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced
that 3.8 million people ages 12 and older are currently misusing prescription pain relievers in our
country; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, more than sixty percent (60%) of the 47,000 drug overdose deaths
in America involved opioids,reflecting a dramatic increase over the past two decades; and
WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC"),
opioids are commonly prescribed for pain. An estimated twenty percent (20%) of patients who
visit physician offices with non-cancer pain symptoms or pain-related diagnoses receive an
opioid prescription. In 2012 alone, health care providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for
opioid pain medication, enough for every adult in the United States to have a bottle of pills; and
WHEREAS, opioid pain medication use presents serious risks, including overdose and
opioid use disorder. From 1999 to 2014, more than 165,000 persons died from overdose related
to opioid pain medication in the United States; and
WHEREAS, in the past decade, while death rates for the top leading causes of death
such as heart disease and cancer have decreased substantially, the death rate associated with
opioid pain medication has increased markedly; and
WHEREAS, the sales of opioid pain medication have increased in parallel with opioid-
related overdose deaths; and
WHEREAS, the Drug Abuse Warning Network estimated that greater than 420,000
Emergency Room visits were related to the misuse or abuse of narcotic pain relievers in 2011,
the most recent year for which data is available; and
WHEREAS, scientific research has identified high-risk prescribing practices that have
contributed to the overdose epidemic; and
WHEREAS, observational research showed significant increases in opioid prescriptions
for pediatric populations from 2001 to 2010 and that a large proportion of adolescents are
commonly prescribed opioid pain medications for conditions such as headache and sports
injuries; and
WHEREAS, use of prescribed opioid pain medication before high school graduation is
associated with a thirty three percent (33%) increase in the risk of later opioid misuse and misuse
of opioid pain medications in adolescence strongly predicts later onset of heroin use. Thus, risk
of opioid medication use in pediatric populations is of great concern; and
WHEREAS, on an average day, at least 78 people will die in the United States from an
opioid-related overdose, 3,900 people will use a prescription opioid outside of legitimate medical
purposes and supervision, and 580 people will try heroin for the first time; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created the CDC Guideline
for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain-United States, 2016 on March 18, 2016 in order to help
curtail the overprescribing of opioids by physicians through more physician education as well as
better risk and assessment of patients; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Justice ("DOJ")through United States Attorney General,
Loretta E. Lynch, sent a letter to the governor of every state on September 20, 2016 requesting
their help in addressing the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic by requesting their
assistance in strengthening prescription drug monitoring programs and ensuring safe drug
disposal; and
WHEREAS, the National League of Cities and the National Association of Counties
formed a national joint task force to address the opioid and heroin abuse epidemic (the "City-
2 RESOLUTION#2017-015
County National Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic") on March 7, 2016, which is charged with
starting a national dialogue for city and county elected leaders, providing educational
opportunities for cities and counties, and providing a national summary report focusing on
community prevention and overdose response, effective treatment options, and public safety
enforcement and supply reduction;
NOW, THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA:
Section 1. That the foregoing "WHEREAS" clauses are ratified and confirmed as
being true and correct and they are made a specific part of this Resolution.
Section 2. That the City Commission of the City of Dania Beach supports the
combined efforts of the CDC and DOJ in reducing the number of opioid prescriptions and
ensuring safe disposal of such medicines and further, supports the efforts of the City-County
National Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic in educating cities and counties.
Section 3. That the City of Dania Beach directs its City officials and City staff to take
any and all actions necessary to effectuate the intent of this resolution and directs the City Clerk
to send a copy of this Resolution to all cities within Broward County, the Broward County
League of Cities, the Florida League of Cities, Governor Rick Scott, State Senator Gary M.
Farmer, Jr., State Representative Evan Jenne, State Representative Joseph Geller, the National
League of Cities, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, and U.S. Representative
Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its passage and
adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED on February 28, 2017.
ATTEST: �A�Is F�Rsr�
LOUISE STILSON, CMC TAMARA JA S
CITY CLERK MAYOR
1
APPROVED AS TO D CO
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THOMM J. ANS RO
CITY ATTORNEY
3 RESOLUTION 42017-015