Res No. 23-17i
RESOLUTION NO. 23-17
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
DELRAY 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;
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 AND HEROIN ABUSE
EPIDEMIC TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND
INFORMATION SHARING FOR CITIES AND COUNTIES; AND
DIRECTING THE APPROPRIATE CITY OFFICIALS TO TAKE ANY
AND ALL ACTIONS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE THE INTENT OF
THIS RESOLUTION; DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A
COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO EVERY CITY IN PALM BEACH
COUNTY, TO THE PALM BEACH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS, THE PALM BEACH COUNTY LEAGUE OF CITIES,
THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES, GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT,
SENATOR JEFF CLEMENS, REPRESENTATIVE AL JACQUET, THE
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, U.S. SENATOR BILL NELSON; U.S.
SENATOR MARCO RUBIO, AND CONGRESSWOMAN LOIS FRANKEL;
AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Delray Beach, Florida, recognizes that the 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 (oxpcontin), hydrocodone (vicodin), codeine, morphine,
fentanyl, methadone, and many others; and
WHEREAS, the 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 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. In fact, an estimated 20% of patients presenting to 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
department 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 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 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 the average day: at least 78 people will die 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.
WHEREAS, heroin and fentanyl caused the deaths of 2,333 Floridians in 2015 according to medical
examiners' figures provided to the state and it is believed that the numbers are even higher for 2016, but the
final figures are not yet in; and
WHEREAS, the war on prescription drugs and the pill mill crackdown has created opioid refugees
who cannot get prescription for legal opioid painkillers filled and have turned to illegal ones instead resulting in
2 RES. NO. 23-17
a rise in heroin and synthetic street opioids as a result and this needs to be addressed in the same manner as
prescribed opioids; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created the CDC Guideline for
Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain—United States, 2016 on Match 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") thtough Unites 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 end 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 -County National Task
Force on the Opioid Epidemic") on Match 7, 2016 that 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 DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. That the foregoing "WHEREAS" clauses are ratified and confirmed as being true and
correct and are made a specific part of this Resolution.
Section 2. That the City of Delray Beach has seen a dramatic increase in overdose due to heroin and
opioids in the past year.
Section 3. That the City Commission of Delray Beach supports the combined efforts of the CDC and
DOJ in reducing the number of opioid prescriptions and ensuring safe disposal and the efforts of the City -
County National Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic in educating cities and counties.
Section 4. That the City Commission of the City of Delray Beach hereby directs City officials and City
staff to take any and all actions necessary to effectuate the intent of this resolution and herby directs the City
Clerk to send a copy of this Resolution to: all cities within Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County League
of Cities, the Florida League of Cities, Governor Rick Scott, Senator Jeff Clemens, Representative Al Jacquet,
the National League of Cities, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson; U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, and Congresswoman Lois
Frankel
Section 5. If any clause, section, other part or application of this Resolution is held by any court of
competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or invalid, in part or application, it shall not affect the validity of
the remaining portions or applications of this Resolution.
3 RES. NO. 23-17
Section 6. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its passage and adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Commission of the City of Delray Beach, Florida, this 4th day of
April, 2017.
A
MAYOR
Attest:
AM&A&6-L"L--'
City Clerk
4 RES. NO. 23-17
City of Delray Beach 100 N.W. 1st Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444
Legislation Text
File #:17-303,Version:1
TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: R. Max Lohman, City Attorney
DATE: April 4, 2017
RESOLUTION NO. 23-17
Recommended Action:
MotiontoApproveResolutionNo.23-17supportingtherecenteffortsbyfederalagencies,tohelp
reduceopioidmisuse,addiction,andoverdose,anddirectingCityofficialsandCitystafftotakeany
and all actions necessary to effectuate the intent of this Resolution.
Background:
Onanaveragedayacrossthecounty,atleast78peoplewilldiefromanopioid-relatedoverdose,
3,900peoplewilluseaprescriptionopioidoutsideoflegitimatemedicalpurposesandsupervision,
and580peoplewilltryheroinforthefirsttime.TheCityofDelrayBeachcontinuestoseedramatic
increasesinoverdosesduetoheroinandopioidsaccordingtoDelrayBeachPoliceDepartment
statistics.
TheCitybelievesopioidmisuseisacontributingfactortotheriseinheroinandopioidrelated
overdosesintheCity.Therefore,theCitysupportstherecenteffortsbytheCity-CountyNational
TaskForceontheOpioidEpidemicineducationcitiesandcounties.TheCitypreviouslyadoption
Resolution55-16whichsupportedthecombinedeffortsoftheCDCandDOJinreducingthenumber
of opioid prescription and ensuring safe disposal.
Ifadopted,acopyofthisResolutionshowingtheCity’ssupportwillbesenttoallcitieswithinPalm
BeachCounty,thePalmBeachCountyLeagueofCities,theFloridaLeagueofCities,GovernorRick
Scott,SenatorJeffClemens,RepresentativeAlJacquet,theNationalLeagueofCities,SenatorBill
Nelson, Senator Marco Rubio, and Congresswoman Lois Frankel.
City of Delray BeachPage 1 of 1Printed on 4/3/2017
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