Full Text of HR0663 94th General Assembly
HR0663 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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HR0663 |
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LRB094 14802 DRJ 49790 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, According to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use | 3 |
| and Health, 12.3 million Americans age 12 and older (5.2 | 4 |
| percent of the population) had tried methamphetamine ("meth") | 5 |
| at least once in their lifetime, with the majority of past-year | 6 |
| users being between 18 and 34 years of age; and
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| WHEREAS, By altering the levels of neurotransmitters in the | 8 |
| brain, methamphetamine causes feelings of pleasure and | 9 |
| euphoria; methamphetamine is a neurotoxin and potent | 10 |
| stimulant, which can also cause cerebral edema and hemorrhage, | 11 |
| paranoia, and hallucinations; short-term effects include | 12 |
| insomnia, hyperactivity, decreased appetite, increased | 13 |
| respiration, and tremors; long-term effects can include | 14 |
| psychological addiction, stroke, violent behavior, anxiety, | 15 |
| confusion, paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood | 16 |
| disturbances, and delusions; methamphetamine use can | 17 |
| eventually cause depletion of monoamines in the brain, which | 18 |
| can have an effect on learning; and
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| WHEREAS, With high doses there may be an increase in both | 20 |
| systolic and diastolic blood pressure due to cardiac | 21 |
| stimulation; in addition, methamphetamine may produce | 22 |
| arrhythmias; other systemic effects include shortness of | 23 |
| breath, hyperthermia, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; and
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| WHEREAS, Crystal meth is a highly and quickly addictive, | 25 |
| illegal street drug, ranking with crack cocaine in popularity; | 26 |
| it causes a reduction in saliva; "meth heads" tend to drink a | 27 |
| lot of soda, both to relieve the dryness in the mouth and to | 28 |
| add to the "high"; their oral hygiene is generally poor; food | 29 |
| and good nutrition become secondary to a new supply of meth; | 30 |
| meth is said to reduce blood supply to the gingiva, causing | 31 |
| periodontal problems; and
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HR0663 |
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LRB094 14802 DRJ 49790 r |
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| WHEREAS, Dental health care professionals should be aware | 2 |
| that methamphetamine use is on the rise in the U.S.; the allure | 3 |
| of this drug is that it is cheap, it is easy to make, and the | 4 |
| "high" lasts much longer than crack cocaine (12 hours versus | 5 |
| one hour for cocaine); as well as being a potent central | 6 |
| nervous system stimulant that can cause permanent brain damage, | 7 |
| methamphetamine's oral health effects are substantial, as | 8 |
| users often crave high-calorie, carbonated, sugary beverages, | 9 |
| or they may grind or clench their teeth; and
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| WHEREAS, The oral health effects of methamphetamine use can | 11 |
| be devastating; reports have described rampant caries that | 12 |
| resembles early childhood caries and is being referred to as | 13 |
| "meth mouth"; a distinctive caries pattern can often be seen on | 14 |
| the buccal smooth surface of the teeth and the interproximal | 15 |
| surfaces of the anterior teeth; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 17 |
| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 18 |
| we urge the Department of Public Health to develop guidelines, | 19 |
| for distribution to health care professionals, that identify | 20 |
| symptoms of "meth mouth" in patients that include the | 21 |
| following:
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| (1) unaccounted-for and accelerated tooth decay in | 23 |
| teenagers and young adults; | 24 |
| (2) distinctive patterns of decay on the buccal smooth | 25 |
| surface of the teeth and the interproximal surfaces of the | 26 |
| anterior teeth; and | 27 |
| (3) malnourished appearance in heavy users, because | 28 |
| methamphetamine acts as an appetite suppressant; and be it | 29 |
| further | 30 |
| RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be delivered to | 31 |
| the Director of Public Health.
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