Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6–Senators Rawson, Amodei, Care, Carlton, Cegavske, Coffin, Hardy, Mathews, McGinness, Neal, Nolan, O’Connell, Raggio, Rhoads, Schneider, Shaffer, Tiffany, Titus, Townsend, Washington and Wiener

 

February 10, 2003

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Joint Sponsors: Assemblymen Koivisto, Anderson, Andonov, Angle, Arberry, Atkinson, Beers, Brown, Buckley, Carpenter, Chowning, Christensen, Claborn, Collins, Conklin, Geddes, Gibbons, Giunchigliani, Goicoechea, Goldwater, Grady, Griffin, Gustavson, Hardy, Hettrick, Horne, Knecht, Leslie, Mabey, Manendo, Marvel, McClain, McCleary, Mortenson, Oceguera, Ohrenschall, Parks, Perkins, Pierce, Sherer, Weber and Williams

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Read and Adopted

 

SUMMARY—Commends Nevadans for Antibiotic Awareness for its work on preventing abuse of antibiotics and urges public and private health agencies to work to prevent abuse of antibiotics in this state. (BDR R‑681)

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

Senate Concurrent RESOLUTION—Commending Nevadans for Antibiotic Awareness for its work on preventing the abuse of antibiotics, and urging public and private health agencies to continue to work together to prevent the abuse of antibiotics in this state.

 

1-1  Whereas, Antibiotics are strong medicines used to treat

1-2  infections caused by bacteria, and they have been responsible since

1-3  their discovery in the 1940s for dramatically reducing illness and

1-4  death caused by infectious diseases and for revolutionizing medical

1-5  care in the 20th century; and

2-1  Whereas, In the United States and throughout the world many

2-2  bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics, thereby reducing the

2-3  ability of antibiotics to effectively control bacterial growth and treat

2-4  infectious diseases; and

2-5  Whereas, Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial

2-6  infections and thus should only be used to treat bacterial infections

2-7  and not to treat viral infections such as the common cold, cough,

2-8  most sore throats and the flu; and

2-9  Whereas, According to the Centers for Disease Control, up to

2-10  50 percent of antibiotic use may be inappropriate; and

2-11      Whereas, The widespread overuse and abuse of antibiotics

2-12  promotes the spread of antibiotic resistance thus jeopardizing the

2-13  usefulness of essential medicines; and

2-14      Whereas, Antibiotic resistance can cause significant danger

2-15  and suffering for children and adults who have common infections

2-16  which were at one time easily treatable with antibiotics, making

2-17  antibiotic resistance one of the world’s most pressing public health

2-18  problems as well as one of the top concerns of the Centers for

2-19  Disease Control; and

2-20      Whereas, The consequences of larger numbers of bacteria

2-21  becoming resistant to antibiotics include extra visits to health care

2-22  providers, hospitalization and extended hospital stays, the need for

2-23  more expensive antibiotics to replace the ineffective antibiotics, lost

2-24  time at school or work, and sometimes death; and

2-25      Whereas, Persons who are ill and the parents of ill children can

2-26  prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant infections by

2-27  ensuring that antibiotics are only taken for bacterial infections and

2-28  not for viral infections, that antibiotics are taken exactly as directed,

2-29  that the entire regimen is completed as directed by a health care

2-30  provider and that antibiotics are taken only by the person for whom

2-31  they were prescribed; and

2-32      Whereas, Health care providers can prevent the development

2-33  of antibiotic-resistant infections by prescribing antibiotic therapy

2-34  only when it is likely to be beneficial to the patient and by

2-35  prescribing antibiotic therapy in the proper dose and for the correct

2-36  amount of time using an agent that targets the bacteria that are likely

2-37  causing the illness; and

2-38      Whereas, By promoting and practicing good hygiene,

2-39  including washing hands often and thoroughly, cooking meat

2-40  properly, washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly, and handling

2-41  food hygienically, people can prevent many infections and thus

2-42  lessen the need for antibiotics; and

2-43      Whereas, Nevadans for Antibiotic Awareness is a statewide

2-44  task force of over 40 state and local public and private agencies and

2-45  companies committed to addressing the problem of antibiotic

3-1  resistance by educating the public about the consequences of the

3-2  inappropriate use of antibiotics, training health care providers

3-3  concerning the appropriate use of antibiotics, decreasing the

3-4  inappropriate use of antibiotics and improving the control and

3-5  surveillance of infections; and

3-6  Whereas, Nevadans for Antibiotic Awareness has partnered

3-7  with the Centers for Disease Control and 31 other states to develop

3-8  programs to increase awareness of the public health dangers of

3-9  antibiotic resistance; and

3-10      Whereas, Nevadans for Antibiotic Awareness has addressed

3-11  the serious public health issue of antibiotic resistance in the State of

3-12  Nevada by developing and distributing statewide guidelines for the

3-13  use of antibiotics, developing and delivering a comprehensive

3-14  educational program for health care providers, establishing a

3-15  bilingual media campaign with the support of its partners,

3-16  conducting surveillance of antibiotic resistance rates for certain

3-17  bacteria, and distributing educational materials throughout

3-18  emergency rooms, pharmacies, health care facilities, doctor’s

3-19  offices, school nurse offices and childcare facilities in this state; and

3-20      Whereas, The effectiveness of the work done by Nevadans for

3-21  Antibiotic Awareness is evidenced by a decrease in the use of

3-22  common antibiotics by outpatients in Nevada and its recognition by

3-23  the Centers for Disease Control as having one of the best programs

3-24  in the United States addressing the abuse of antibiotics and the

3-25  development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria; now, therefore, be it

3-26      Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the

3-27  Assembly Concurring, That the Nevada Legislature is

3-28  committed to creating a greater public understanding of the abuse of

3-29  antibiotics and to supporting the need for educating the public and

3-30  health care providers on the consequences of abusing antibiotics;

3-31  and be it further

3-32      Resolved, That the Nevada Legislature commends Nevadans

3-33  for Antibiotic Awareness for its efforts in educating the public and

3-34  health care providers in this state about the harm that results from

3-35  the abuse of antibiotics and the actions that residents of this state

3-36  can take to address this serious public health issue; and be it further

3-37      Resolved, That the Health Division of the Department of

3-38  Human Resources and the local health authorities in this state are

3-39  urged to continue to work with Nevadans for Antibiotic Awareness

3-40  to take actions to prevent the abuse of antibiotics in Nevada,

3-41  including, without limitation, working with the medical community

3-42  and health care providers to educate the public concerning antibiotic

3-43  resistance, its causes and the steps that can be taken to reduce and

3-44  inhibit its spread; and be it further

4-1  Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and

4-2  transmit a copy of this resolution to Nevadans for Antibiotic

4-3  Awareness, and to the Health Division of the Department of Human

4-4  Resources for transmittal to all local health authorities in Nevada.

 

4-5  H