Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. Holds a Hearing On Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse

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Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. Holds a Hearing On Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse

SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, SUBCOMMITTEE ON CRIME AND DRUGS HOLDS A HEARING ON PRESCRIPTION AND OVER-THE- COUNTER DRUG ABUSE

MARCH 12, 2008

SPEAKERS: SEN. JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., D-DEL. CHAIRMAN SEN. HERB KOHL, D-WIS. SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN, D-CALIF. SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD, D-WIS. SEN. CHARLES E. SCHUMER, D-N.Y. SEN. EDWARD M. KENNEDY, D-MASS. SEN. RICHARD J. DURBIN, D-ILL. SEN. PATRICK J. LEAHY, D-VT. EX OFFICIO

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, R-S.C. RANKING MEMBER SEN. CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, R-IOWA SEN. JEFF SESSIONS, R-ALA. SEN. TOM COBURN, R-OKLA. SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, R-PA. SEN. ORRIN G. HATCH, R-UTAH

WITNESSES: DR. LEN PAULOZZI, MEDICAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST, NATIONAL CENTER FOR INJURY PREVENTION AND CONTROL, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

DR. NORA VOLKOW, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE

STEVE PASIERB, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PARTNERSHIP FOR A DRUG-FREE AMERICA

DEREK CLARK, DIRECTOR, CLINTON SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNCIL, CLINTON, IOWA

MISTY FETKO, PARENT OF CARL HENNON, NEW ALBANY, OHIO

[*] BIDEN: Short time between hearings.

I have an opening statement, but my colleague -- not but -- my colleague and co-chair here can only stay about a half an hour because he has a whole lot of folks he has to be meeting with shortly. So I'm going to put my opening statement in the record in order to save some time.

And just let me say, though, that really appreciate all the witnesses being here today. And this is the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, and the Senate Drug Caucus. And we hopefully are going to be able to shed some much-needed light on what seems to be a trend that has crept into the households and communities across the country, and that's abuse of prescription drugs and some over-the- counter drugs.

But with that, let me -- as I said, I'll put my opening statement in the record, and I yield to my colleague, if he has any opening statement to make, and... GRASSLEY: No. I've got a long one, so I should put it in the record, too, but I'd like to summarize a little bit. But over here on the right is one of our witnesses, Derek Clark, from Clinton, Iowa. And you...

BIDEN: I know Clinton. I know Clinton.

GRASSLEY: You've been in every county in Iowa.

BIDEN: That's true. Didn't do me a hell of a lot of good, but I was there. A lot of nice people you have out there.

GRASSLEY: Now, our witness has served as executive director of the Clinton Substance Abuse Council for the last 10 years. As the executive Director, Mr. Clark works with a wide variety of community members to develop solutions to substance abuse problems in and around Clinton, Iowa. So we thank you for being here.

And in just way of summarizing, because it is a long statement I'm going to put in the record, we do have some recent statistics of a downturn in the use of illegal drugs. But for the purposes of this hearing, we're finding that there is not this downturn. In fact, quick awakening that needs to be done about the use and abuse of prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs.

And so to bring attention to this, and to bring attention to a piece of legislation that you and I have put in on DX that we sponsored last year, it's very important to have this hearing. But I think one of the most important things that can come out of this hearing is to alert parents who are very concerned about their young people's use of illegal drugs that, right there in the medicine cabinet could be a source of abuse and a major problem, and things that are harmful to health that we hope this hearing will bring attention to.

Thank you.

BIDEN: Thank you very much.

And as I said, we have a very distinguished panel, our first panel, and it's not been, as they say, a long time between drinks before we had -- Doctor, it's a delight to have you back. Thank you for being here.

And I might -- is Polosi the correct way to say it, sir?

PAULOZZI: Paulozzi.

BIDEN: Paulozzi. I beg your pardon.

Dr. Paulozzi is here, as well. He's a medical epidemiologist in the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the CDC. And he's been working in public health since 1983. And he's worked eight years in the state Health Departments as an epidemiologist focusing on injuries and ...

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