HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04242007 - PR.2 IN THE MATTER OF DECLARING RESOLUTION NO. 2007/ 226
APRIL 2007 AS ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH
IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
WHEREAS,Alcohol Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug
Dependence (NCADD) since 1987,began as a way of educating and raising public awareness about
the disease of alcoholism, that it is a treatable disease, not a moral weakness, and that alcoholics are.
capable of recovery; and
WHEREAS, substance abuse particularly of alcohol and prescription drugs among adults 60 and older is one
of the fastest growing health problems facing the country. Yet, even as the number of older adults
suffering from these disorders climbs, the situation remains underestimated under identified under
diagnosed, and under treated.Alcohol at�d prescrtptio"n drug<misuse affects up to 17% of older adults;
and
WHEREAS, census estimates predic6that 19,9,4''.s older"adult population of"33 million will more than double
to 80 million by 2050 (Spencer;"1989,U.S"Bureau of;the Census, 1.996) tiMost of that growth will
occur between 2010 and 2030;when the number of adults over 65`will grow by an average of 2.8
�� o
percent. In California,the 65+ group is expected to grow by 85/o in the next 20 years.Approximately,
800,000 older Californians are,expected to be affected by AOD,problems'and only"16"programs in
California are age-appropriate or adapted for:.the older adult; and
WHEREAS, adults 65 and older represent 12°/o..of the U.S population yetconsurne 34% of prescription
drugs,25% of'over the counter drugs,and 42% of all-retail prescription expenditures; and
WHEREAS ;older adults often take
numerous medications prescribed by multiple health.care'providers,
,. .
their risk of having an adverse`reaction and resulting emergency room visit or hospitalization is greater
than that of" adultsMedication related pYoble ns"account for 5 tcQ0°l0 of hospitalizations;
and
r
WHEREAS, one to six (15%) hien and 1,in 8 (12%) women 60+ regularly,drink< exeess of the,National
Institute pf Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's alcohol limits' "
WHEREAS, alcohol-involved crashes are an important cause of ttauma and death,in;a11 age grqups. The
elderly are the fastest growing segment of the d>tvu�g populations. In 2003 there was,,a:total of 118
DUI arrests among older adults 60+ Contra Costa County compared to 114.in 2005, a 5.1%
increase, and"%:'
WHEREAS,in 2001 in,Contra,Costa County a total of 256 people-55 yea-is o£age or;older entered alcohol
and other drugs treatment; and in 2005, the number rose t6..291; an increase of 13%;and
WHEREAS, the Alcohol and Other Drugs, Services Division, the Alcohol,and Other Drugs Advisory Board,
and its Community Partners, continues to support and provide AOD prevention and treatment
programs for all Contra Costa residents;and.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that-the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors does
hereby declare April 2007 as ALCOooer
ESS MONTH a "Call to Action"in this County
and encourages all citizens to suppss''efforts by community based organizations to
reduce alcohol and drug problems s.
N. PIEPHO
Chair
DistrictIII Supervisor ti,+
JOHN GIOIA ,� D o YLE B'UILKEMA
District I Supervisor * - t Dis ict II Supervisor
SUSAN A. BONILLA 'asap X11 ®g 4 , FE ERAL D. GLOVER
District IV Supervisor District V Supervisor
couI1'
INTRODUCED BY SUPERVISOR BONILLA, DIST IV