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Opioid Litigation Daily Media Report 10/4/17
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Bexar County suing opioid manufacturers, distributors
Oct 3, 2017 | San Antonio Express (TX)
By Jasper Scherer
Bexar County Commissioners Court has decided to sue the opioid drug manufacturers and distributors it considers responsible for an addiction epidemic that has hit Bexar harder than most other Texas counties. -
Bexar County To Sue Opioid Drug Industry
Oct 3, 2017 | KTSA (TX)
By Bill O'neill
Bexar County is set to take on the opioid drug industry in court. -
ETX counties addressing opioid epidemic, targeting manufacturers, distributors
Oct 4, 2017 | KLTV (ABC) (TX)
By Francesca Washington
On Tuesday, Smith County Commissioners approved counsel for potential legal action related to the opioid crisis that is trending across East Texas, in response to what is being called an epidemic. -
Smith Co. to file suit against OxyContin manufacturers for role in the opioid crisis
Oct 4, 2017 | KYTX CBS 19 (TX)
By Cory McCoy
Smith County will be taking pharmaceutical companies to court over local effects of the opioid crisis gripping the nation. -
Bexar County suing opioid industry to combat epidemic
Oct 3, 2017 | KSAT 12 News (TX)
By Adrian Garcia
Despite Bexar County only making up 5 percent of the state’s population, 66 percent of all opioid problems in Texas come from the San Antonio area, which is one of the many factors leading the Bexar County Commissioners Court to target pharmaceutical companies in a lawsuit. -
Bay County Considering Joining Lawsuit Against Big Pharmaceutical Firms
Oct 4, 2017 | WSGW (MI)
By John Hall
Bay County Executive Jim Barcia says the County could become part of a class action lawsuit againat the major pharmaceutical companies for over-production of highly addictive drugs like oxycontin which can lead to heroin abuse. -
Marathon County Board looks at joining potential opioid lawsuit
Oct 4, 2017 | WSAW 7 (WI)
By Emma Henderson
Overcrowded jails and twice as many children being put into protective services, Marathon County Board Chairman Kurt Gibbs says they are just two examples of the impact the opioid crisis is having on Marathon County. -
Sauk County considers law firm's pitch on opioid lawsuit against pharmaceutical industry
Oct 3, 2017 | Barbaboo News Republic (WI)
By Tim Damos
Sauk County may join in a multi-county lawsuit that would seek to hold large pharmaceutical companies responsible for the nation’s opioid epidemic. -
Opioid manufacturers, doctors sued over drug epidemic
Oct 4, 2017 | Chicago Daily Law Bulletin (IL)
By Staff
One of the nation’s largest mass torts firms is taking the opioid crisis to court.Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC has filed actions against several drug companies and doctors across the country, alleging fraudulent marketing of painkillers that have spurred a national drug epidemic.One of its latest claims is on behalf of Kankakee County. The lawsuit, filed last week in Illinois’ 21st Judicial … -
Memphis City Council Moves Ahead With Plan To Sue Opioid Manufacturers
Oct 3, 2017 | Local Memphis.com
By Kim Chaney
Memphis city council members are moving ahead with a plan to sue opioid manufacturers. Several states have already filed similar actions. -
City Council considering opioid lawsuit
Oct 3, 2017 | Fox 13 Memphis (TN)
By Greg Coy
The Memphis City Council is considering fighting the opioid crisis with a lawsuit. -
House task force to Trump: Declare opioid emergency
Oct 4, 2017 | North Jersey.com (NJ)
By Tom MacArthur, Annie Kuster, Brian Fitzpatrick and Donald Norcross
A little over a month ago, President Donald Trump announced his intention to declare the opioid epidemic a national emergency. He was right – it is an emergency. Drug overdoses killed almost 54,000 people in 2015, and the majority of those deaths involved an opioid. Last year, about 12 million Americans misused an opioid, and the overdose death toll rose to 65,000. The opioid crisis is cutting deep scars in our communities, and in some states is taking more of our loved ones than car accidents, suicides and firearms combined. It is absolutely an emergency and we urge the president to move quickly in formally declaring the opioid crisis a national health emergency. -
Poll: Most Americans think Trump hasn’t done enough to fix opioid crisis
Oct 3, 2017 | PBS NewsHour
By Laura Santhanam
Most Americans think the opioid crisis has worsened in their communities and across the country, but few believe their own lives will be affected, according to a new poll from the PBS NewsHour and Marist Poll. -
Good Morning East Texas at 6:30 AM
Oct 4, 2017 | KLTV (ABC)
By Tyler, TX
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898435?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74 -
Sunrise 7
Oct 4, 2017 | WSAW (CBS)
By Wausau, WI
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898444?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74 -
Fox News First Early Edition
Oct 4, 2017 | KABB (Fox)
By San Antonio, TX
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898450?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74 -
Good Morning Tennessee
Oct 4, 2017 | WATE (ABC)
By Knoxville, TN
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898452?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74 -
KSAT 12 News Nightbeat
Oct 4, 2017 | KSAT (ABC)
By San Antonio, TX
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898458?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74 -
FOX 43 News at 10
Oct 4, 2017 | WTNZ (Fox)
By Knoxville, TN
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898461?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74 -
Fox 13 News--9PM
Oct 3, 2017 | WHBQ (Fox)
By Memphis, TN
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898469?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74 -
Fox News at 9
Oct 3, 2017 | WZAWLD (Fox)
By Wausau, WI
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898477?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74 -
Eyewitness News at 7
Oct 3, 2017 | WYOU (CBS)
By Wilkes-Barre. PA
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898484?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74 -
Local 24 News at 6
Oct 3, 2017 | WATN (ABC)
By Memphis, TN
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898486?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74 -
News 4 San Antonio at 6p
Oct 3, 2017 | WOAI (NBC)
By San Antonio, TX
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898494?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74 -
Eyewitness News at 5pm
Oct 3, 2017 | WBRE (NBC)
By Wilkes Barre, PA
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898500?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Bexar County, TX Suit
Other Coverage
Broadcast Media Coverage
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Bexar County suing opioid manufacturers, distributors
Oct 3, 2017 | San Antonio Express (TX)
By Jasper Scherer
Bexar County Commissioners Court has decided to sue the opioid drug manufacturers and distributors it considers responsible for an addiction epidemic that has hit Bexar harder than most other Texas counties.
More than 100 Bexar County residents died from opioid-related overdoses in 2015, which means opioid overdose led to almost six deaths per 100,000 in the county, according to figures reported in the San Antonio Express-News in August.
“We should really lead the state of Texas going forward against the drug companies who misled the public,” said Martin Phipps, an attorney with the Phipps Anderson Deacon law firm, at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting. “Some of them have already been found to have committed fraud by the government and sanctioned for what they told to doctors, who then told people about the safety of opioids.”
The commissioners approved Phipps’ firm and the Watts Guerra firm, both based in San Antonio, as co-lead counsel on the litigation.
The suit plans to target companies including Purdue Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Cephalon and Johnson & Johnson, according to an initial list. The county named a combination of 11 manufacturers, promoters and distributors to be sued, though the list is not exhaustive.
The court’s approval of litigation marks a progression of the commissioners’ fight against the opioid epidemic, building on a task force announced in August aimed at preventing addiction through education and outreach, and treating those already dependent on the drugs.
County Judge Nelson Wolff said the lawsuit may in some ways mirror the state’s case against the tobacco industry, which was settled in 1998 for more than $14 billion. He said both industries “lied to the community” about their products.
“This is something much more insidious and much more dangerous than smoking,” Wolff said.
The approval passed with an amendment from Commissioner Kevin Wolff, who stipulated that any funds the county wins from litigation should go toward opioid-related treatment and research programs.
“If this is going to produce some sort of revenue, then that revenue should be spent on solving the problem that it’s causing,” the commissioner said.
In the rare instance when law firms have proposed county-backed litigation to the court, Commissioner Wolff has opposed the idea. He said in previous instances, the lawsuits would have merely generated revenue for the county, along with fees for private firms.
“I, philosophically, don’t believe that government entities should be trying to generate revenue just for the sake of generating revenue,” said Wolff, the only Republican on the court. “Our jobs are to provide service.”
Commissioner Tommy Calvert expressed support for Commissioner Wolff’s amendment because he said it makes clear that the court is backing the suit to curb the opioid problem, not for litigious reasons. Calvert said he asked Wolff to include research programs in the amendment, on top of treatment.
“I want to understand if there’s a cultural disparity, or if there’s some other economic reason, or if there’s something deeper that we need to look at,” Calvert said.
The court approved the amendment without opposition.
“Thanks, you guys,” Nelson Wolff said to the attorneys. “Now go get ’em.”
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Bexar County To Sue Opioid Drug Industry
Oct 3, 2017 | KTSA (TX)
By Bill O'neill
Bexar County is set to take on the opioid drug industry in court.
Commissioners have given a thumbs up to plans to sue the manufacturers, promoters and distributors of the drug many see as the reason behind what has been described as a national epidemic.
“It’s an epidemic that has affected many citizens across Texas, but in particular Bexar County” said attorney Martin Phipps, one of a number of lawyers from two firms who will represent the county in the lawsuit.
Any cash the county receives as a result of the legal action will go toward the treatment of those who have become addicted to the drugs and additional research in to the problem and how it can be addressed.
That’s something Commissioner Tommy Calvert welcomes.
“I want to understand if there is a cultural disparity or if there’s some other economic reason–or if there’s something deeper that we need to look at” Calvert said, adding “We many be able to educate more health care providers about their own bias or tendencies in medical treatment.”
Phipps told Commissioners it’s a problem that has taken a toll–and he believes the industry knows it–and has done nothing about it.
“For every hundred citizens, there are 66 opioid prescriptions–like Oxycontin and Percocet” Phipps said.
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ETX counties addressing opioid epidemic, targeting manufacturers, distributors
Oct 4, 2017 | KLTV (ABC) (TX)
By Francesca Washington
On Tuesday, Smith County Commissioners approved counsel for potential legal action related to the opioid crisis that is trending across East Texas, in response to what is being called an epidemic.
"We are bordering on a national emergency being called by the president," said attorney Jack Walker.
Smith County has joined several other East Texas counties.
"Upshur County has filed a lawsuit, Bowie County has filed a lawsuit,” Walker said.
Walker said it’s an effort by counties to hold manufacturers accountable."By the states and the counties, to hold the opioid manufacturers and distributors responsible for flooding the market with opioids over the last 15, 20 years,” Walker said.
Walker said marketing tactics by companies like Purdue Pharma, Teva, Abbott Laboratories, and McKesson, has led to the misuse of prescription drugs.
"They have created a market of opioids by promising that they are not addictive. That they are safe for chronic pain and that they can be used over the long term," Walker said.
Walker said the consequences of opioid misuse often reach county government.
"Each county has massive costs associated with health care, with law enforcement, with jails," Walker said.
Coordinator for the East Texas Substance Abuse Coalition Susan Anderson said East Texas has become vulnerable because of the availability of the opioids.
"Where people get into trouble is when they don't use their medications according to how their doctor prescribes," Anderson said.
Smith County has not filed any type of lawsuit yet. The only action taken today was retaining legal counsel.Walker said when a lawsuit is filed, the amount of damages will vary from county to county.
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Smith Co. to file suit against OxyContin manufacturers for role in the opioid crisis
Oct 4, 2017 | KYTX CBS 19 (TX)
By Cory McCoy
Smith County will be taking pharmaceutical companies to court over local effects of the opioid crisis gripping the nation.
During its Tuesday regular meeting, the Smith County Commissioners Court voted to retain two law firms as its legal counsel in a forthcoming suit against pharmaceutical manufacturers of OxyContin. Those include Tyler-based Martin Walker, Attorneys at Law and Dallas-based Simon Greenstone Panatier Bartlett, PC.
“It’s against pharm companies and distributors for proliferation of the opioid epidemic and the cost to the county,” Joe Walker of Martin Walker said. “The manufacturer of OxyContin is Purdue Pharma, and Purdue was an innovator in the way opioids were marketed. They will certainly be in the case.”
Walker said Abbott Laboratories also would be named. It is possible that manufacturers beyond Purdue and Abbott also could be named in the suit.
Walker said the county does not intend to file suit against any hospitals or physicians groups.
Co-counsel Jeffery Simon said the lawsuit would seek compensationdue to the impact on the area.
Simon said the lawsuit will go as far back as statutes of limitations will allow. They plan to file the lawsuit as soon as the county completes its paperwork.
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Bexar County suing opioid industry to combat epidemic
Oct 3, 2017 | KSAT 12 News (TX)
By Adrian Garcia
Despite Bexar County only making up 5 percent of the state’s population, 66 percent of all opioid problems in Texas come from the San Antonio area, which is one of the many factors leading the Bexar County Commissioners Court to target pharmaceutical companies in a lawsuit.
On Tuesday, the Commissioners Court motioned “to sue all opioid manufacturers, promoters, and distributors responsible for causing and contributing to an epidemic of opioid addiction in Bexar County.”
By filing the lawsuit, Bexar County becomes one of the first counties in Texas to go head-to-head with the major pharmaceutical companies.
County Judge Nelson Wolff said Tuesday’s lawsuit against the opioid industry is following the track of the smoking industry lawsuit that was filed several years ago.
“While that (lawsuit) was a terribly important because they (smoking industry executives) lied to the community also about the effects of smoking and certainly paid a price for that ... this (opioid addiction) is something much insidious and much more dangerous than smoking,” Wolff said.
Martin Phipps with Phipps Anderson Deacon LLP is one of the many lawyers from two San Antonio firms chosen by District Attorney Nico LaHood to represent Bexar County in the lawsuit.
“When looking into what we can do, we discovered that Bexar County has 5 percent of the population in the State of Texas but 66 percent of the opioid-related issues and 25 percent of the babies born are basically addicted to opioids,” Phipps said.
The Commissioners Court motioned the lawsuit only with the provision that any proceeds granted to the county go directly to treatment and research to help the Bexar County citizens who are dealing with the addiction of opioids.
In September, KSAT-12 and KSAT.com addressed the opioid epidemic that is unraveling communities, including San Antonio, by featuring: “Opioid Nation: An American Epidemic.”
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Bay County Considering Joining Lawsuit Against Big Pharmaceutical Firms
Oct 4, 2017 | WSGW (MI)
By John Hall
Bay County Executive Jim Barcia says the County could become part of a class action lawsuit againat the major pharmaceutical companies for over-production of highly addictive drugs like oxycontin which can lead to heroin abuse.
Barcia who’s a board member for the County Executives of America which is leading the litigation effort to be handled by the same New York law firm that took on Big Tobacco says the big drug-makers have much to answer for.
He says the opioid crisis has taken its toll both locally and nationwide.
Barcia is anticipating a favorable vote from the County Board of Commissioners next month to join in the case which would not cost the County anything, but would leave the County in line for potential settlement money.
Barcia also presented the proposed 2018 County budget to the Commission Tuesday for its review.
A Board vote is expected by early to mid-December prior to the start of the new County fiscal year January First.
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Marathon County Board looks at joining potential opioid lawsuit
Oct 4, 2017 | WSAW 7 (WI)
By Emma Henderson
Overcrowded jails and twice as many children being put into protective services, Marathon County Board Chairman Kurt Gibbs says they are just two examples of the impact the opioid crisis is having on Marathon County.
Now, the Marathon County Board is talking about whether it should join a proposed lawsuit to fight back against pharmaceutical companies some say are partially to blame.
The class action lawsuit would be brought by counties in Wisconsin. The lawyers representing them would argue that the large pharmaceutical companies knew how harmful opioids could be, but kept marketing them as 'safe' because they were making a large profit.
Gibbs has seen how the opioid epidemic has impacted Marathon County, both personally and financially.
"Children are being put and placed in protective custody, whether it be the jail overcrowding issue, all things that are utilizing taxpayer dollars here in Marathon County," Gibbs said.
He first heard about the potential lawsuit when board members from counties all over the state held a meeting.
"The hope at least by the law firm, Von Briesen and Roper is that all 72 counties sign on," Gibbs said.
The counties would be up against large pharmaceutical companies and joining the case would take manpower from the county.
"There's going to be a requirement that we have to provide some statistical data, information as far as attributable to the costs that we've incurred," Gibbs said.
The details on how much money the counties would get and how it would be distributed across the state are still unknown. The proposal will be discussed at the next Health and Human Services Committee meeting and could be sent to the full board as early as October 12.
Wood County has already joined the potential suit, which is similar to tobacco settlement lawsuits.
In the tobacco lawsuits, it was proven that tobacco companies withheld information about how damaging cigarettes really were.
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Sauk County considers law firm's pitch on opioid lawsuit against pharmaceutical industry
Oct 3, 2017 | Barbaboo News Republic (WI)
By Tim Damos
Sauk County may join in a multi-county lawsuit that would seek to hold large pharmaceutical companies responsible for the nation’s opioid epidemic.
Following a brief discussion Tuesday, the Sauk County Board’s Executive and Legislative Committee took no action on the matter. Officials will seek additional information before making a final decision about whether to join the litigation.
Interim Sauk County Corporation Counsel Debra O’Rourke told the committee that attorneys with the Wisconsin firm von Briesen & Roper presented plans for the lawsuit during the Wisconsin Counties Association annual conference in September.
“The whole basis for the lawsuit is that they’re alleging that the big pharmacy companies essentially were deceptive in that they were promoting aggressively that opioids were safe and not addictive, and that they could be used for long-term use, when there was simply no research to back that up,” O’Rourke said.
Opioids include prescription painkillers such as OxyContin and Vicodin, as well as the illegal drug heroin. Addiction to legally prescribed opioids can lead some to begin using the illicit form.
O’Rourke said the firms handling the suit would require data from human services and law enforcement agencies to demonstrate expenses the county has incurred as a result of the epidemic. It is not clear how much that research may cost, O’Rourke said, and the firms would collect 25 percent of a potential settlement.
O’Rourke said she plans to speak with Andrew Phillips, one of the attorneys handling the lawsuit, in the near future to learn more. Phillips could not be reached for comment before deadline Tuesday.PauseCurrent Time0:00/Duration Time0:00Stream TypeLIVELoaded: 0%Progress: 0%0:00Fullscreen00:00Mute
“There’s a lot of questions to be answered before the county makes a decision on this,” O’Rourke.
The Wood and Price county boards approved litigation engagement agreements with the law firms during meetings last month. The resolutions note that county staff will be expected to assist the firms, but do not list anticipated costs.
A pamphlet distributed by the firms says that from 1999 to 2013, the amount of prescription opioids dispensed in the U.S. nearly quadrupled. In 2015, opioid sales generated $10 billion in revenue for large pharmaceutical companies, according to the firms.
“While Pharma was raking in profits, county governments have been forced to spend a significant amount of money combating this epidemic,” the pamphlet states.
Sauk County Board Chair Marty Krueger said during Tuesday’s meeting that the opioid epidemic has had a tremendous financial impact on individuals and counties. He said after officials gather more information, he may ask the committee to forward a resolution to the full board authorizing the county’s involvement in the lawsuit.
“As much as folks want us to move forward with this, I think we need to do it in a measured approach and figure out if we belong there,” Krueger said.
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Opioid manufacturers, doctors sued over drug epidemic
Oct 4, 2017 | Chicago Daily Law Bulletin (IL)
By Staff
One of the nation’s largest mass torts firms is taking the opioid crisis to court.Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC has filed actions against several drug companies and doctors across the country, alleging fraudulent marketing of painkillers that have spurred a national drug epidemic.One of its latest claims is on behalf of Kankakee County. The lawsuit, filed last week in Illinois’ 21st Judicial …
The remainder of this article is under paywall: http://www.chicagolawbulletin.com/Articles/2017/10/03/Opioid-crisis-mass-tort-10-3-17
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Memphis City Council Moves Ahead With Plan To Sue Opioid Manufacturers
Oct 3, 2017 | Local Memphis.com
By Kim Chaney
Memphis city council members are moving ahead with a plan to sue opioid manufacturers. Several states have already filed similar actions.
There has been a big increase in opioid addiction over the last few years. The experts predict what we see now is just the tip of the iceberg.
"Middle Tennessee and East Tennessee have already done what they needed to do in order to start the investigative process,” says Memphis City Councilman Ed Ford, Jr. “It's time for the city of Memphis to follow accordingly."
Shelby county commissioners are considering taking legal action as well. Councilman Ed Ford says he has no troubles with both the city and county joining forces.
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City Council considering opioid lawsuit
Oct 3, 2017 | Fox 13 Memphis (TN)
By Greg Coy
The Memphis City Council is considering fighting the opioid crisis with a lawsuit.
Other states and communities across Tennessee are threatening legal action against drug companies to hold them responsible for the cost of treatment and law enforcement.
The opioid crisis in Shelby County is deadly and claimed 114 lives according to the TN Health Department.
The number of people overdosing from prescription almost doubled in two years.
"To prevent that next statistic from happening, if we can prevent it happening, let's go after those opioid distributors," said Memphis City Councilman Edmund Ford, Jr.
Councilman Edmund Ford Junior told FOX13 he wants the City of Memphis to join other states and countries across Tennessee taking drugs companies to court.
Ford believes they should pay for some of the police and prosecutorial costs to fight the epidemic and not just tax payers.
Ford said, "In the 80's or the 90's, we had another addiction and there were no funds there and there was no action in litigation. We can't erase the past, but let's look at what we do in the future."
Memphis would not be alone if it decided to take big pharma to court.
Mississippi, Ohio and New Mexico are filing lawsuits.
Counties in East Tennessee are joining suit and Shelby County is debating if it wants to go to court against drug manufacturers as well.
"It's new litigation and there have been no new cases," said Memphis City Attorney Bruce McMullen who said this kind of lawsuit is filled with challenges.
A lawsuit against a corporation with deep pockets could drag on for years.
"There have been some firms that have approached, and they said they would do it on contingency only, but there are considerable expenses outside the legal cost," said Attorney McMullen.
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House task force to Trump: Declare opioid emergency
Oct 4, 2017 | North Jersey.com (NJ)
By Tom MacArthur, Annie Kuster, Brian Fitzpatrick and Donald Norcross
A little over a month ago, President Donald Trump announced his intention to declare the opioid epidemic a national emergency. He was right – it is an emergency. Drug overdoses killed almost 54,000 people in 2015, and the majority of those deaths involved an opioid. Last year, about 12 million Americans misused an opioid, and the overdose death toll rose to 65,000. The opioid crisis is cutting deep scars in our communities, and in some states is taking more of our loved ones than car accidents, suicides and firearms combined. It is absolutely an emergency and we urge the president to move quickly in formally declaring the opioid crisis a national health emergency.
The four of us serve as the chairs and vice-chairs of the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force in the House of Representatives, which is comprised of 90 members from both parties, and we welcomed the president’s announcement as appropriate to the urgency of the crisis. However, we now believe it’s time for the White House to put legal action to that intention, and formally declare the opioid crisis a national emergency. A declaration of emergency has the potential to make a real difference by making it easier to direct more funding where it is needed, and easing red tape for the agencies combating this crisis.
We also know that an emergency declaration alone cannot solve the crisis that confronts us. This crisis is a full-spectrum problem that requires a comprehensive response. This summer, we released a bipartisan legislative agenda that speaks to a wide range of concerns, and we look forward to expanding this agenda as our colleagues in Congress continue to introduce innovative solutions. In this polarized political moment, we are grateful that the House of Representatives’ Heroin Task Force is one of the most rigorously bipartisan organizations in Congress. No bill made it to our agenda without bipartisan cosponsors and the support of all four co-chairs. As we consider the path forward in combating the opioid crisis, we believe our agenda reflects an emerging bipartisan consensus on specific shared policy objectives:
• Effectively equipping and training our first responders in the use of lifesaving overdose reversal drugs.
• Reforming pain management techniques.
• Providing unique solutions for different groups of Americans like young people, veterans, new mothers and infants.
• Immediately addressing the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Diseases exclusion, an outdated rule that prevents the most vulnerable people in our society from receiving substance abuse treatment just because of the size of the facility they access.
• Providing medical professionals with more information about patients’ addiction histories.
• Ensuring law enforcement professionals have the resources they need to stop the flow of heroin and synthetic opioids into our country and communities.
• Finally, we need to make adequate resources available to meet these objectives.
The President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis reflects this same emerging consensus on next steps. When the commission released its own nonpartisan report in August, we were appreciative to see significant overlap between our agenda and its recommendations.
None of us can tackle this crisis alone. We all need to act together, federal and local governments, the medical professionals, treatment and recovery providers, the pharmaceutical industry, community organizations, law enforcement and border security, and all of our fellow citizens – all of us working together toward a shared goal of overcoming the epidemic. Here in Congress, we will contin
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Poll: Most Americans think Trump hasn’t done enough to fix opioid crisis
Oct 3, 2017 | PBS NewsHour
By Laura Santhanam
Most Americans think the opioid crisis has worsened in their communities and across the country, but few believe their own lives will be affected, according to a new poll from the PBS NewsHour and Marist Poll.
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults said the opioid crisis worsened nationwide over the past year, an opinion Democrats were more likely to express than Republicans. Another quarter of Americans — 26 percent — said the rates of opioid addiction remained unchanged. Only 2 percent of adults nationwide said the country’s opioid problem improved over the last year.
The majority’s opinion reflects the latest government data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which suggested as many as 64,000 Americans fatally overdosed on drugs in 2016. Fentanyl is fueling the rise. In three years, this synthetic opioid went from contributing to 3,000 overdose deaths to more than 20,000 deaths nationwide, according to the New York Times analysis.
“There’s quite a gap between people’s awareness of this being a problem and the sense that someone’s actually stepping up to the plate and addressing it,” said Lee Miringoff, the director for the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.
But when asked if this public health crisis demanded urgent action across the country, most Americans did not think addiction warranted a coordinated effort directed by the White House. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump’s opioid commission asked the president to declare a national emergency, something the president has said he would announce but has yet to do. A quarter of Americans — 26 percent — said they consider opioid addiction to be a national emergency, while an additional 58 percent said opioids posed a major issue but didn’t amount to a national emergency.
When respondents took a look at their own communities, more than a third of Americans said opioids present a big problem, but do not warrant an emergency, while one-sixth of Americans said addiction problems should be considered an emergency.
What will help? Americans tend to think keeping track of how often doctors prescribe opioid painkillers would be the most effective strategy in fighting medication misuse that could spiral into addiction. More than a third of U.S. adults — 37 percent — said this approach would be most helpful in stemming opioid addiction to pain medication. All 50 states have prescription drug monitoring programs in place, including Missouri, which approved the program in July.
Another one-fifth of Americans said limiting each individual’s pain drug prescriptions would be the best approach, an idea that gained traction after the pharmacy chain CVS announced on Sept. 22 that it would no longer fill opioid prescriptions for more than seven days. And 17 percent of Americans said a more rigorous government approval process would help. Another 8 percent of U.S. adults supported warning labels that describe the risk associated with taking prescription opioids. A small segment of support — 6 percent — thought improving border security could stop prescription opioid use from worsening.
Who is responsible? Whatever the solution, Americans don’t think the nation’s leaders are doing enough to combat the opioid crisis. Six out of 10 U.S. adults said Trump has not done enough. The question also split Americans along party lines: 85 percent of Democrats and half of people who identify as politically independent thought the president hadn’t done enough, while a third of Republicans — 36 percent — said the same.
But Americans’ view of Congress made Trump’s performance look good by comparison. Nearly three-quarters of Americans said their elected officials on Capitol Hill have not done enough to address the issue of opioid addiction. Federal health and drug agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration, did not fare much better, with seven out of 10 Americans saying these agencies also haven’t done enough.
After the latest Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed, a third of Americans said their top priority in health care reform was that lawmakers ensure that opioid addiction treatment remains accessible. Half of U.S. adults said such treatment was important, but not their first priority. Only 13 percent said such treatment wasn’t important enough for lawmakers to include in health care reform.
More broadly, half of Americans — 53 percent — said a person who struggles with prescription opioid addiction suffers from an illness, while a third of U.S. adults said that person’s addiction reveals personal weakness.
In terms of confronting the crisis, nearly half of Americans — 47 percent — said the medical and mental health community is most responsible for helping the country overcome opioids, while another 29 percent placed that burden on the pharmaceutical industry and an additional 12 percent said law enforcement needed to step up.
Within government, more than one-third of Americans said federal officials must step up to assist the nation, followed by 28 percent who said state governments need to lead the way and another 21 percent who preferred that local officials take action against addiction.
The nation’s outlook for the opioid crisis is pessimistic. Four out of 10 Americans foresee no difference in the level of addiction to pain medication a year from now, while another third of U.S. adults only see things getting worse. A fifth of the country said things will improve with time. But do Americans personally view the opioid crisis as a threat? Overwhelmingly not. Nine out of 10 U.S. adults — 93 percent — said they do not worry much, if at all, about becoming addicted to prescription pain medication.
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Good Morning East Texas at 6:30 AM
Oct 4, 2017 | KLTV (ABC)
By Tyler, TX
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898435?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Rough Transcript: several east texas counties are addressing the opioid epidemic by targeting opioid manufactures and distributors. smith county commissioners approved counsel for potential legal action related to the crisis on tuesday. attorney jack walker says the consequences of opioid misuse reach county government. jack walker, lawyer "upshu county has filed a lawsuit, bowie county has filed a lawsuit. we represent smith county. lamar county, hopkins county and several other counties are considering hiring our firm." erika smith county has not filed any type of lawsuit yet... the only acton taken so far was retaing legal counsel. walker said when a lawsuit is filed, the amount in damages will vary from county to county.
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Oct 4, 2017 | WSAW (CBS)
By Wausau, WI
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898444?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Rough Transcript: the marathon county board is considering whether to join a proposed lawsuit... to combat the growing opioid crisis. ((sean)) lawyers representing several wisconsin counties will argue pharmaceutical companies know how harmful opioids can be... yet market them as safe for treating chronic pain. board chairman kurt gibbs... says overcrowded jails and more children in protective services are just two examples of the impact the cris is having on marathon county. but if the county joins the suit, they'll have to offer specific information. 49 "there's going to be a requirement that we have to provide some statistical data, information as far as attributable to the costs that we've incurred." 59 ((sean)) wood county has already joined the proposed suit. the proposal will be discussed at the next health and human services committee meeting... it would then be sent to the full marathon county board to discuss as early as next thursday.
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Oct 4, 2017 | KABB (Fox)
By San Antonio, TX
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898450?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Rough Transcript: developing story open">> bexar county commissioners commissioners have decided to file a lawsuit against all opioid drug manufactures. district attorney nico lahood says bexar county leads the state in insurance claims related to opioid abuse. there's also a huge problem here... involving child birth issues related to dependancy on opioid drugs. these are statistics lahood and county commissioners say have to change.kevin wolff/bexar county commissioner, pct. 3: "the affects of opioids puts a strain on the services that the county is supposed to provide and that is jail, that is mental health, and so because of over prescribing these types of things, because of creating addiction, we, you the tax payer suffer through that."3 through that." three la firms are working on the case -- two local and one national. there is no date set on when the suit will be filed, but everyone said this will be a long fight.
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Oct 4, 2017 | WATE (ABC)
By Knoxville, TN
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898452?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Rough Transcript: more lawsuits ainst pharmaceutical companies that makopioid painkilers. bo: attorneys general from knox county along with the 7th... 8th. 9th... and 10th judicial districts are suing four companies and their relted companies. the suit was filed in campbel countycircuit court. prosecutors saying campbell county and claiborne county have the 3rd and 6th highest per- capita opioid prescription rates in the country. bo: the lawsuit claims drug- makers worked to convince doctors that opioids had a minimal risk of addiction. and that the drug companies knew their products were being diverted for ilegal sales - but did nothing to stop it. an earlier lawsuit was filed by district attorneys in northeast tennese. dr makers responded to that lawsuit by sayi they denied the alegations - but shared concerns over opioid abuse and had been working to adress the problem.
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Oct 4, 2017 | KSAT (ABC)
By San Antonio, TX
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898458?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Rough Transcript: bexar county is suing the opioid industry in an effort to combat the epidemic. 66% of all opioid problems in texas come from the san antonio area. that's one of many factors leading the bexar county commissioner's court to target pharmaceutical companies in a lawsuit. to read more about how bexar county is becoming one of the first counties in texas to go head-to-head with major drug companies, just head over to ksat.com and click on this story.
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Oct 4, 2017 | WTNZ (Fox)
By Knoxville, TN
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898461?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Rough Transcript: three days into a new month brings new suspected overdose deaths numbers in knox county the district attorney's officsays so far this month hree people have died of suspected overdose in kno county alone brings the total number of deaths since january two hundred and twelve thats cpared to two hundred twenty four in all twey sixteen attorneys general in east tennessee are aking the opioid find manufactures. district attorney general sharm al an says she's proud to join a lsuit asking for damages from for pharmaceutical companies she says the lawsuit claims the company's value their bottom line with the people's lives. they're accused of lying to doctors telling them to drugs warned adctive that they were effective treatnts for long term pain if we can be successful and the suit then perhaps we can lower the crime right across the board in addition to taking some the staying out open problem allen says because they are so many lives affected the lawsuit means alot to her personally says the court proceedings could take years before reaching a solution
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Oct 3, 2017 | WHBQ (Fox)
By Memphis, TN
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898469?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Rough Transcript: the memphis city council is considering fighting the opioid cris with a lawsuit. councilman edwin ford, jr. says he wants the city of memphis to join other counties across tennessee taking drug companies to court. he believes they should pay for some of the police and costs to fight the epidemic, not just taxpayers. >> it's the '90. >> memphis would not be alone if they decided to take big pharma to court. shelby county is debating if they wa to go to court as well.
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Oct 3, 2017 | WZAWLD (Fox)
By Wausau, WI
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898477?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Rough Transcript: overcrowded jails and twice as many children being put into protective custody... county board chairman kurt kibbs... says they're just two examples of the impact the opioid crisis is having on marathon county. now, the board is talking about whether it should join a proposed lawsuit -- to fight back against pharmaceutical companies -- . some say are partially to blame. ((heather)) news at nine's emma henderson was at a meeting -- as details of the proposed lawsuit were shared with the county executive committee... emma -- what is the county hoping to gain? ((emma)) heather... this would be a class action lawsuit brought by every county in 10:06 PMwisconsin. lawyers representing the counties.... will argue that large pharmaceutical companies know how harmful opioids can be.... but -- they're still marketing them as safe ways to treat issues like chronic pain. that way they make a large profit. now local governments are having to pay money --- to deal with the consequences from the subsequent opioid addiction. as marathon county board chairman, kurt gibbs sees how the opioid epidemic has impacted the county... both personally and financially. "children are being put and placed in protective custody, whether it be the jail overcrowding issue, all things that are utilizing taxpayer dollars here in marathon county" when meeting with board members from counties all across the state, gibbs was introduced to a proposed class action lawsuit.... if there is a lawsuit and it's won -- the county would get money to pay for any extra expenses from the opioidepidemic. "t hope at least by the lawfirm, von briesen and roper is that all 72 counties sign on." but, they would be up against large pharmecutical companies.... and joining the case would take manpower from the county. "there's going to be a requirement that we have to provide some statistical data, information as far as attributable to the costs that we've incurred." thats why .... before signing up... the county board has some research to do. "it's at the concept stage right now." ((emma)) as for how much money the county could get -- and how it would be distrubuted -- those details aren't known just yet. the proposal will be discussed at the next health and human services committee meeting... it would then be sent to the full board to discuss as early as next thursday. wood county has already joined the proposed class action suit. it would be similar to tobacco settlement lawsuits. in those lawsuits -- it was proven that tobacco companies withheld information -- about just how damaging cigarettes really were.
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Oct 3, 2017 | WYOU (CBS)
By Wilkes-Barre. PA
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898484?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Rough Transcript: new at seventhe city of hazleton may soon join the growing list of communities and counties taking aim at pharmaceical companies because of the opioid epidemic. city leade say the 7:03 PMcris is devastating their community-and that someone has to be held accountable. .lead i-te reporter andy mehalshick has our story. (( chief jerryspeziale- hazleton police ))"it's neglect. it's the countabilty. people have to hold these companies accountable."hazleton's poli chief says he sees the devastating impact of the opioid epidemic just about everyday..his officers respond to overdoses almost everyd..some of them deadly.. (( chief jerry speziale- hazleton police dept. )) "you're talking about losing maybe part of a generation. think about that. so we have to start holding ople accountable."much like the tobacco companies re held accountable when they were hit by class action lawsuits and had to pay out billions to the state's for the harm their product inflcited on people... hazleton mayor jeff cusat says it's now time to do the same thing with multi-national pharmaceutical companies producing the drugs.(( mayor jeff cusat- hazleton ))"there is a great cost that comes to these cities everyday. from the police, the fire the members of the ambilance the spital. we are going through it everyday."jason harlen is a drug treatment counselor...he says everyday he deals with someone addicted to opioids ..he thin the lawsuits may be successful..(( jason harlen- wyo. valley alcohol & drug services ))"i guess te will telll. it's an unkown right now. i don't think that people would file a lawsuit if they didn't have evidence of a negative impact." (( andy mehalshick- eyewitness news ))"hazleton officials say it's about sending a message..that something,.somebo dy has to held accountable for this opioid cris. reporting in hazleton andy mehalshick eyewitness news." ((andy))the mayor says he has been meeting with law firms discussing the lawsuit-- hazleton's lawsuit will likely be part of a class action suit filed by other cities and counties.
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Oct 3, 2017 | WATN (ABC)
By Memphis, TN
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898486?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Rough Transcript: memphis city council members ... are also moving ahead with a plan ... to sue opioid manufacturers. several states ... have already filed similar actions. there has been a big increase in opioid addiction over the last few years. and ... the experts predict ... what we see now ... is just the tip of the iceburg. ed ford, jr./memphis city council "middle tennessee and east tennessee have already done what they need to do in order to start the investigative process. it's time for the city of memphis to follow accordingly." katina: shelby county commissioners ... are considering taking legal action as well. councilman ed ford ... says he has no troubles with both the city and county joing forces.
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Oct 3, 2017 | WOAI (NBC)
By San Antonio, TX
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898494?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Rough Transcript: our top story tonight, the bexar county leaders are filing a lawsuit against manufacturers of all opioid drugs quacks it shows excellent county is a leader in the state for 7:01 PMinsurance claims regarding the epidemic. a reporter is here with what the law means to you. >> reporter: the bulk of the insurance claims, more than 50 percent related to opioid treatments come out of your and bexar county. i spoke with the district attorney and county commissioners today who said the lawsuit may be the only way to change those statistics. bexar county please the state to 25 percent of childbirth issues related to dependency on opioid drugs. one more statistic the district attorney and county commissioners they have to change quacks i will not object to fax. this is not a recommendation from us -- they decided lawsuit will be filed against all drug manufacturers. they said it is one of several that will be filed across the country. the effects of opioids is the strain on the services that the 7:02 PMcounty is supposed to provide and that is jail in mental health. and because of over prescribing these types of things and because of creating addiction the taxpayers suffer through that. >> any programs related to addiction. >> it is on an opportunity for them to make money it is missing many back to those harmed. >> this is a peer to peer addiction and many addicts are not only addicted to opioids they are grateful the county is paying attention to this disease. in a statement the executive director says our role is to support the city and county task force with evidence of what we are seeing in our community and to educate our community leaders to look it addiction is a medical social emergency. the goal is to stop the influx of patients they are dealing with and holding people accountable. >> no date has been set when they will file this lawsuit. everyone said today once it is filed it will be a long fight.
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Oct 3, 2017 | WBRE (NBC)
By Wilkes Barre, PA
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/29898500?token=2fa506d3-4df4-4cfd-afe3-c6b88c4bda74
Rough Transcript: the city of hazleton is considering filing a lawsuit against drug companies that manufacture opioid hazleton would join a growing list of communities and counties that are taking aim at the pharceutical companie.. blaming them- in part- for the opioid epidemic. (( mayor jeff cusat- hazleton ))"there is a great cost to cities that comes to them with the fire companies, police, members of the ambualnce and hospital. the time they spend with the patients going through this going through this everyday." we will have more othis lawsuit coming up on eyewitness news 7..
Bexar County, TX Suit
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