To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Ori Tzvieli, Interim Health Services Director
Report Title: Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month 2025
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT resolution and ACCEPT presentation recognizing March 2025 as Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month in Contra Costa County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no impact for this action.
BACKGROUND:
Once a year, Behavioral Health and its partners acknowledge Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month in Contra Costa, to highlight prescription drug safety prevention efforts to increase the safety and well-being of individuals in Contra Costa. In recognition to the ongoing prevention efforts led by the Contra Costa County Medication Education and Disposal Safety (MEDS) Coalition and Health Department to raise prescription drug safety awareness and promote well-being among individual in Contra Costa.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County, California
body
IN THE MATTER OF proclaiming March 2025 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 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); 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 (NIDA, 2023); and
WHEREAS, Anyone who takes prescription opioids can become addicted to them. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 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. CDC recommends avoiding taking benzodiazepines while taking prescription opioids whenever possible due to the risk of overdose; and
WHEREAS, In 2023, per the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard, in Contra Costa County there were 447,583 opioid prescriptions given to patients which is an age-adjusted rate of 313.9 per 1,000 patients in Contra Costa County, higher than the state rate of 295.98; and
WHEREAS, In 2023, a total of 22,474 emergency department visits occurred in California that were related to any opioid overdose and 407 of those visits occurred in Contra Costa County4; and
WHEREAS, According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 105,007 drug overdose deaths occurred nationally in 2023, 81,083 were from opioids and 178 of those opioid related overdose deaths occurred in Contra Costa County; 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 2023; and
WHEREAS, To help prevent substance use disorder and overdose deaths, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors 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; and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors does hereby declare March 2025 as Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month, and encourages all residents to participate in prescription drug abuse related prevention programs and activities; Be it also resolved that the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors encourages all community members pledge to, “Spread the Word… One Pill Can Kill”.