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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, Heroin is an illegal and highly addictive drug 
3that is both the most abused and the most rapidly acting of the 
4opiates; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, Heroin was first synthesized in 1874 from 
6morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the 
7seed pods of certain varieties of poppy plants; and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, Heroin is typically sold as a white or brownish 
9powder or as the black sticky substance known as "black tar 
10heroin"; and
  
 
11    WHEREAS, Although purer heroin is becoming more common, 
12most heroin is "cut" with other drugs or with substances such 
13as sugar, starch, and powdered milk, as well as strychnine or 
14other poisons; and
  
 
15    WHEREAS, Because heroin abusers do not know the actual 
16strength of the drug or its true contents, they are at risk of 
17overdose and death; and
  
 
18    WHEREAS, Heroin also poses special problems because of 
19transmission of HIV and other diseases that can occur from 
20sharing needles or other injection equipment, and because of 
 
 
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1the medical and social consequences of abuse, including fetal 
2effects, crime, violence, and disruptions to the family, 
3workplace, and educational environments; and
  
 
4    WHEREAS, According to "Heroin Use in Illinois: A Ten-Year 
5Multiple Indicator Analysis, 1998 to 2008", the Chicago 
6metropolitan area ranked among the worst nationally for 
7heroin-related problems, including ranking first in the number 
8of individuals admitted to the emergency room for heroin abuse 
9and first in the percentage of arrestees testing positive for 
10heroin; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The study also found a large increase in deaths 
12from heroin overdoses in the collar counties, including a 130% 
13increase in Lake County from 2000 to 2009, a 150% increase in 
14McHenry County in just a three-year period, a doubling of 
15heroin-related deaths in Will County in a period of just two 
16years, and a total of 78 heroin-related deaths in DuPage County 
17over a three-year period, indicating that heroin remains
a 
18continuing problem in DuPage County; and
  
 
19    WHEREAS, The study also found the increase in suburban 
20heroin abuse has resulted from increased
heroin use among 
21teens, including a 27% increase in suburban Cook County and a 
2246% increase
in the collar counties; in 2008, over 100 
23individuals in the Chicago Metropolitan Area
under the age of 
 
 
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135 died from heroin overdose; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Despite efforts to combat the use of heroin, 
3DuPage County saw a record 45 confirmed heroin-related deaths 
4in 2013; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Heroin has become the second most common drug 
6after alcohol and the most common illegal substance for which 
7individuals enter treatment in Illinois, compared to the fourth 
8most common reason Illinoisans entered publicly-funded 
9treatment in 1998; therefore, be it
  
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
11NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
12urge the citizens of the State of Illinois, especially the 
13parents of Illinois youth, to become aware of the dangers 
14associated with the use of heroin and the escalating number of 
15accidental deaths due to heroin overdoses; and be it further
  
 
16    RESOLVED, That we find that comprehensive drug education 
17programs, including the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) 
18program, serve as valuable tools in presenting the facts and 
19dangers related to heroin use to Illinois youth; and be it 
20further
 
21    RESOLVED, That we designate the date of November 4 in 2015 
 
 
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1and 2016 as Heroin Abuse Awareness Day in the State of 
2Illinois.