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Opioid Litigation Daily Media Report - 12/8/17
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New Britain Joins Legal Fray in Opioid Fight Against Drugmakers
Dec 8, 2017 | Connecticut Law Tribune (CT)
By Robert Storace
The city of New Britain filed a lawsuit Thursday morning against some of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical companies, claiming they’ve engaged in a deceptive marketing campaign to mislead the public about the dangers of prescription opioids. -
New Britain sues big pharma over alleged opioid deception
Dec 7, 2017 | Hartford Business Journal (CT)
By Patricia Daddona
Following through on a promise made in October, New Britain has sued some of the nation's largest pharmaceutical companies, alleging they have misled the public about the dangers of prescription opioids. -
New Britain Becomes Second Connecticut City To Sue Opioid Makers
Dec 7, 2017 | WSHU (CT)
By Staff
The City of New Britain has filed suit against manufacturers and distributors of opioid painkillers. The suit is similar to one filed by New Haven last month. -
Opioid lawsuit by Town of Wallingford possible
Dec 7, 2017 | Connecticut Record Journal (CT)
By Matthew Zabierek
The town is considering joining other Connecticut municipalities in bringing legal action against opioid manufacturers. -
City of Warren could sue drug manufacturers for opioid crisis
Dec 7, 2017 | WJBK (MI)
By Charlie Langton
Metro Detroit is still in the grips of the opioid epidemic and the Warren mayor is gearing up for a new battle. -
Sedgwick County commissioners declare opioid 'nuisance'
Dec 7, 2017 | KAKE (KS)
By Greg Miller
Sedgwick County commissioners have declared opioid abuse a public nuisance, paving the way for potential litigation against manufacturers and drug providers. -
Judge pauses Chicago opioid lawsuit; judges mull consolidating host of similar cases nationally
Dec 7, 2017 | Cook County Record (IL)
By Jonathan Bilyk
A federal judge has placed on hold the city of Chicago’s lawsuit accusing the makers of prescription painkillers like Oxycontin and Percocet – so-called “opioids” – of falsely marketing their drugs to doctors. defrauding City Hall and other employee health plan administrators, while giving time for a panel of federal judges to decide if the action should be consolidated with other similar lawsuits, brought by cities and others, now pending in other jurisdictions. -
Trump Is a No-Show in the Fight Against Opioids (EDITORIAL)
Dec 8, 2017 | Bloomberg
By Albert R. Hunt
The opioid epidemic should command focused attention even from our policy-averse president. It's America's worst drug crisis, especially severe in the working-class and rural communities that supported President Donald Trump. Its solution involves spending money, which supposedly doesn't faze Trump, and tougher actions against drug companies, which he's vowed to take. -
Good Morning Kansas
Dec 8, 2017 | KAKE (ABC)
By Wichita, Kansas
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/31314248?token=785ebe79-3202-44b8-b056-36430153fd77 -
Spectrum News All Morning
Dec 8, 2017 | NWS14 (Spectrum News)
By Charlotte, NC
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/31314255?token=785ebe79-3202-44b8-b056-36430153fd77 -
NewsChannel 7 at Five
Dec 7, 2017 | WJHG (NBC)
By Panama City, FL
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/31314668?token=785ebe79-3202-44b8-b056-36430153fd77 -
WECT News at 6
Dec 7, 2017 | WECT (NBC)
By Wilmington, NC
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/31314675?token=785ebe79-3202-44b8-b056-36430153fd77 -
FOX 61 News at 5
Dec 7, 2017 | WTIC (Fox)
By Hartford, CT
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/31314689?token=785ebe79-3202-44b8-b056-36430153fd77
New Britain, CT Suit
Other Litigation Coverage
Commentary and FYIs
Broadcast Media Coverage
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New Britain Joins Legal Fray in Opioid Fight Against Drugmakers
Dec 8, 2017 | Connecticut Law Tribune (CT)
By Robert Storace
The city of New Britain filed a lawsuit Thursday morning against some of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical companies, claiming they’ve engaged in a deceptive marketing campaign to mislead the public about the dangers of prescription opioids.
Copy of New Britain filing: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_bcq0WcWuxWNVliNDRWX2pIQVpMVWhPVUdEbVpwV19Nc2pB/view
The lawsuit, filed in New Britain Superior Court by attorneys at Scott + Scott, comes on the heels of opioid lawsuits filed this year by Waterbury and New Haven. Similar lawsuits have been filed by municipalities across the nation.
All three lawsuits allege opioid manufacturers published misleading articles in medical journals that encouraged the use of opioids to treat chronic pain. In addition, the suits claim the manufacturers continue to sponsor medical courses that persuade doctors that opioids don’t pose a serious threat of addiction.
The latest suit also notes that heroin addiction is often linked to opioid abuse, highlighting the long-term costs the industry has placed on the shoulders of Connecticut communities such as New Britain.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered all federal lawsuits brought by cities, counties and states to be transferred to a judge in Ohio.
The lawsuit targets Purdue Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Insys Therapeutics, McKesson Corp., AmerisourceBergen Corp. and Cardinal Health.
New Britain is located in central Connecticut and has a population of about 74,000 people.
Check back later for updates to this story.
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New Britain sues big pharma over alleged opioid deception
Dec 7, 2017 | Hartford Business Journal (CT)
By Patricia Daddona
Following through on a promise made in October, New Britain has sued some of the nation's largest pharmaceutical companies, alleging they have misled the public about the dangers of prescription opioids.
The lawsuit filed by Scott + Scott Attorneys at Law LLP on behalf of the city names as defendants prescription drug manufacturers Purdue Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and Insys Therapeutics.
It also names a number of wholesale distributors, including McKesson Corporation, AmerisourceBergen Corporation, and Cardinal Health.
The lawsuit seeks compensation from the manufacturers and wholesale distributors for causing New Britain to incur exorbitant costs for social and human services, as well as the enhanced costs for the additional services of police, fire and other first responders necessary to cope with the opioid epidemic.
The city alleges that opioid manufacturers "systematically worked to deceive doctors and patients – including vulnerable groups such as the elderly and war veterans – about the highly addictive nature of prescription opioids and the appropriateness of these drugs for chronic pain management," the law firm said.
Among the allegations, the city says opioid manufacturers:
· Published misleading articles in medical journals, including publications aimed at doctors who commonly treat chronic pain;
· Created a body of false and unsupported literature that appeared to be independent, peer-tested, and objective when it was not; and
· Employed distinguished physicians to write, consult on, and lend their names to articles that encouraged the use of opioids to treat chronic pain.
"The pharmaceutical industry is responsible for one of the most tragic epidemics facing cities like New Britain. Our firm's roots are in Connecticut, and I could not be more honored to represent cities such as New Britain as they stand up to the industry on behalf of their communities and the families torn apart by the opioid epidemic," said David Scott, managing partner of Scott + Scott.
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New Britain Becomes Second Connecticut City To Sue Opioid Makers
Dec 7, 2017 | WSHU (CT)
By Staff
The City of New Britain has filed suit against manufacturers and distributors of opioid painkillers. The suit is similar to one filed by New Haven last month.
Both cities want drug companies to cover the cost of the opioid crisis. That includes extra burden on police, first responders and social services.
The lawsuit says companies used deceptive marketing to convince doctors and patients that prescription opioids were less addictive. The suit cites a study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that says nearly 80 percent of heroin users started with prescription opioids.
David Scott, of Scott + Scott, the law firm that’s suing the drug companies, says, “There’s no doubt that it’s important to be able to manage pain. But I think that the drug companies had an obligation to not affirmatively mislead the public on just how addictive these drugs were.”
Scott says his law firm is helping other cities in Connecticut prepare cases against these pharmaceutical companies.
The New Britain suit was filed in Connecticut state court against drug distributors and six major pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Johnson & Johnson and Purdue Pharma.
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Opioid lawsuit by Town of Wallingford possible
Dec 7, 2017 | Connecticut Record Journal (CT)
By Matthew Zabierek
The town is considering joining other Connecticut municipalities in bringing legal action against opioid manufacturers.
An outside law firm will help the town determine whether it has a viable claim.
“We really feel the town of Wallingford should be part of an effort to correct what is a terrible and tragic situation,” Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. said Thursday.
Other Connecticut municipalities, like Waterbury, have moved forward with lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors and doctors who prescribed the drugs. The suits focus on the marketing of opioids as an effective and non-addictive treatment for chronic pain.
Dickinson and Corporation Counsel Janis Small attended an informational meeting held by Waterbury earlier this year, according to a memo Small wrote to Dickinson and town councilors on Tuesday.
“It is the position of the town attorney and I that this serious matter should be investigated and, if warranted, pursued with legal action,” Small wrote.
The law department has requested the Town Council approve a bid waiver that will let the law department interview different law firms with “expertise in this type of litigation,” Small said. The chosen firm would then analyze different factors and determine the strength of the town’s case.
“We need to know how to put our facts and experience into a form that constitutes a cause of action,” Dickinson said.
“The impact of the epidemic on communities includes increased insurance/healthcare and workers’ compensation costs, increase in emergency room responses and an impact on police departments and the criminal justice system,” Small wrote in her memo.
The Town Council will vote Tuesday whether to approve the bid waiver.
Small said Thursday that Wallingford wouldn’t technically be “joining” other towns pursuing legal action because Wallingford would have a separate suit.
Small said states, counties, and towns around the country have pursued action against drug companies as a result of the opioid epidemic.
Connecticut has risen from 50th to 12th in the nation in opioid deaths in the last three years, according to Small. The general feeling among other Connecticut municipalities, Small said, is “if Washington isn’t going to fix this, then we'll have to.”
Small read the lawsuit Waterbury filed and said the lengths that drug companies went to in misleading the public about opioids are “pure evil.”
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City of Warren could sue drug manufacturers for opioid crisis
Dec 7, 2017 | WJBK (MI)
By Charlie Langton
Metro Detroit is still in the grips of the opioid epidemic and the Warren mayor is gearing up for a new battle.
"A lot of people are overdosing from them, a lot of people are dying from them," said Shiloh Underwood.
Underwood says it is easy to get them.
"When I first came in here, I got them the very same day," she said.
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts is taking action, proposing to sue drug manufacturers saying they failed to inform of the risks of opioids and they're deceptive in their marketing.
"The opioid, heroin epidemic is the leading cause of accidental death today," Fouts said. "The doctors are part of the problem as are small-time drug dealers but the real problem is the American pharmaceutical industry, who for decades has marketed these opioids as safe and nondependent."
Earlier this year, Wayne and Oakland Counties filed a suit against drug manufacturers, Detroit plans to file by the end of the year. Now, Warren will file soon.
Joan Flynn says she was given too many drugs after surgery.
"The pharmacy calls me and says your prescription is ready, I said what prescription, they said for pain," she said. "I didn't have any pain. They're pushy."
The Warren plan is the city will pay you $500 to turn in a pusher. The mayor says they've had some success with raids and convictions. But he says, lawsuits are better.
"If you look at productivity, you look at health care costs, criminal costs, blight, a whole lot of other things," Fouts said. "You've got a large amount of money."
The mayor hopes his lawsuit, like that of the tobacco settlement in 1998, will force the pharmaceutical industry to stop it's deceptive advertising and pay the costs associated with the injuries. Pharmaceutical industry has said in the past; they are following the law.
"If you don't cut the head off the snake if you won't eliminate the problem," Fouts said. "And the snake is the pharmaceutical industry."
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Sedgwick County commissioners declare opioid 'nuisance'
Dec 7, 2017 | KAKE (KS)
By Greg Miller
Sedgwick County commissioners have declared opioid abuse a public nuisance, paving the way for potential litigation against manufacturers and drug providers.
Commissioners heard from the assistant counselor of Sedgwick County who said the declaration would allow the county to plan possible lawsuits against drug manufacturers and distributors that don't report large distributions in the county.
The move could also give the county money from the federal government to combat the crisis. It's seen as a move in the right direction by many who work with opioid addicts and those who have lost family or friends to the wave of abuse.
"I think it's long overdue. We basically have a pandemic in this country that we have 91 people every day that die from opioid overdoses," said Peter Ninemire, owner of The Caring Center of Wichita.
"It's killing as many people as car wrecks or gun violence."
The Trump administration declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency in October.
"We can be the generation that ends the opioid epidemic. We can do it," President Trump said in a White House announcement.
Commissioners reported that 135 people died from opioid abuse in 2016.
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Judge pauses Chicago opioid lawsuit; judges mull consolidating host of similar cases nationally
Dec 7, 2017 | Cook County Record (IL)
By Jonathan Bilyk
A federal judge has placed on hold the city of Chicago’s lawsuit accusing the makers of prescription painkillers like Oxycontin and Percocet – so-called “opioids” – of falsely marketing their drugs to doctors. defrauding City Hall and other employee health plan administrators, while giving time for a panel of federal judges to decide if the action should be consolidated with other similar lawsuits, brought by cities and others, now pending in other jurisdictions.
In mid-November, U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso granted a request from the defendant drug companies for a stay in proceedings on the city’s lawsuits, until the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation can decide what to do with the bevy of cases now pending against the painkiller drugmakers across the country.
Alonso’s ruling came over the objections of attorneys representing the city, who argued slapping a hold on the process at this point would only serve to set the case back, upend years of resolved court disputes and ongoing discovery and evidence accumulation and further delay the resolution of the case the city says is needed to enable city officials to more adequately address what they called the “opioid crisis” afflicting the city, which they said is fueling high rates of addiction and overdose deaths.
The city filed suit in 2014 against a number of drug manufacturers, alleging at that time the companies conspired to commit consumer and insurance fraud, and violated city ordinances and other laws and rules, in promoting the use of their painkiller pills.
After several defendants were dismissed from the action, five defendants have remained, including Purdue Pharma, which makes Oxycontin; Endo Pharmaceuticals, which makes Percocet; Cephalon; Actavis; and Janssen Pharmaceuticals.
The city specifically has alleged the companies encouraged doctors to prescribe the companies’ opioid products for the treatment of chronic pain and downplayed the risks of addiction and other problems.
The city also asserted the companies collaborated with “front” groups and “key opinion leaders to advance their alleged deception.
In the years since the case was filed, the case has continued past several attempts by the defendants to dismiss it, with the city amending the case on multiple occasions.
However, as the city brought its action and in the years since, a host of other cities, benefits managers and others have stepped into courtrooms across the country, similarly suing the drug makers for the marketing of the pills, which they blame for the surge nationally in both cities and rural communities, alike, of opioid addiction and overdose deaths.
In Chicago, for instance, the city said in its most recent court filing that the city suffered 581 deaths from opioid overdose in 2016, up from 426 in 2015, leading the city to outfit its fire engines and ambulances with an anti-overdose medication.
In September, however, as the number of lawsuits mounted, a lawyer in West Virginia representing nearly four dozen cities and other government agencies suing opioid drugmakers petitioned the JPML to consolidate all of the various actions pending across the country into one giant case, known as a multi-district litigation, or MDL. In that petition, attorney James Peterson, of Hill Peterson Carper Bee & Deitzler, said consolidating the cases could save the courts and participants time and uneven outcomes, as different judges could see the same facts, yet come to markedly different conclusions on questions of law, evidence and procedure.
Other lawyers involved in the action, including Jay Edelson, of Edelson P.C., of Chicago, have recently compared the cases to the actions brought against the nation’s tobacco companies, which resulted in settlements and judgments worth hundreds of billions of dollars; they have pushed for a similar result here, saying the public health crisis from opioids is as severe as the crisis caused by cigarette smoking.
The JPML was scheduled to hear arguments on that request at the end of November.
In response, Purdue Pharma, Endo and other drugmaker defendants asked Alonso to place the city of Chicago’s case on hold to allow the JPML to decide if their case would merely be swept up in with all of the other similar lawsuits.
The city countered that request by noting the parties have litigated the case for three years already, in marked contrast to many of the other, newer actions. City attorneys argued plaintiffs and defendants and the judges hearing the matter have already invested large number of hours in negotiations and arguments over discovery and other motions. The city noted discovery has already resulted in the exchange of millions of pages of documents, and staying the case not only would place that written discovery on hold, but potentially force all parties to start over.
And they said, as the matter lingers in court, the city continues to struggle with the “opioid crisis,” which they said is only worsening.
The judge, however, sided with the drugmakers, staying the case. Alonso also set aside another round of motions to dismiss from the drugmakers, saying the stay renders those dismissal motions moot.
In addition to its corporation counsel, the city is represented in the action by attorneys with the firms of Motley Rice LLC, of Washington, D.C.; Wexler Wallace LLP, of Chicago; Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, of Washington, D.C.;
Purdue Pharma is represented by the firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, of New York and Chicago; Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, of New York; and Wiggin and Dana LLP, of Stamford, Conn.
Endo is represented by the firm of Arnold & Porter LLP, of Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.
Actavis and Cephalon are represented by the firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, of Chicago, Miami and Philadelphia; Foley & Lardner LLP, of Boston and Chicago, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP, of Chicago.
Janssen is represented by the firms of Covington & Burling LLP, of Los Angeles, O'Melveny & Myers LLP, of Los Angeles, and Sidley Austin LLP, of Chicago.
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Trump Is a No-Show in the Fight Against Opioids (EDITORIAL)
Dec 8, 2017 | Bloomberg
By Albert R. Hunt
The opioid epidemic should command focused attention even from our policy-averse president. It's America's worst drug crisis, especially severe in the working-class and rural communities that supported President Donald Trump. Its solution involves spending money, which supposedly doesn't faze Trump, and tougher actions against drug companies, which he's vowed to take.
More than 175 Americans die daily from opioid overdoses, according to a presidential commission, far more than the U.S. Centers for Disease Control attributes to car accidents and gun mishaps.
Yet Trump has done nothing but talk since his Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, led by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, issued a report on Nov. 1 filled with dire language and calls to action.
"The time to wait is over," it declared. "The time for talk has passed."
Here's the record so far:The White House has yet to ask for any new funding for prevention or law-enforcement programs to address the epidemic. To the contrary, Trump has been receptive to proposals by congressional Republicans to slice spending on Medicare and Medicaid, two of the biggest programs for addiction treatment.Trump tapped Pennsylvania Representative Tom Marino to head the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The nomination was withdrawn after the Washington Post and CBS News revealed that Marino pushed drug-industry-friendly legislation undermining law-enforcement efforts to crack down on suspicious imports of prescription painkillers.Kellyanne Conway has been named opioid czar to coordinate federal addiction-fighting activities. She is Trump's political spin person, infamous for rebranding misinformation as "alternative facts."
The Conway appointment stands in contrast to President Barack Obama's designation of Ron Klain three years ago to coordinate the global effort to contain an Ebola epidemic.
My dumbest column, in 2014, questioned the Klain appointment. I was covering a Senate race in North Carolina where the Republican candidate, Tom Tillis, was joined by Senator John McCain in blasting Klain as a partisan political operative. I suggested that Obama should give the assignment to General David Petraeus instead of Klain; six months later, Petraeus pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information after he misled federal agents investigating his release of confidential materials to his biographer and mistress.
Klain, who has been chief of staff to Vice Presidents Joe Biden and Al Gore and a top Justice Department official, did a masterful job cutting through bureaucratic red tape and marshalling support for a multibillion-dollar plan to successfully combat the spread of Ebola in Africa and beyond. Conway, by contrast, is a pollster and political operative with little experience or knowledge about the levers of government.
Congressional Democrats have proposed adding $45 billion over 10 years to fight opioid addiction. Neither the White House nor the Republican congressional leadership has given a substantive response.
Trump voters have the most to lose. The state with the highest incidence of opioid-overdose deaths is West Virginia, which Trump carried by 43 points in last year's election. Overdose deaths are rising fastest in rural counties, where Trump clobberedHillary Clinton by the historically huge margin of 26 percentage points.
In parading as a populist in the presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly attacked the drug industry, which promoted opioid use even after the human costs emerged. His promises to crack down on big pharma disappeared after the election.
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Dec 8, 2017 | KAKE (ABC)
By Wichita, Kansas
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/31314248?token=785ebe79-3202-44b8-b056-36430153fd77
Rough Transcript: commissioners can now take drug manufacturers and distributors to court, especially if they don't report how many opioids are sold or filled corectly. it's something former addicts say is a change crucial in the fight. kake's greg miller has what it means in the opioid pandemic. if pharmaceutical companies and other drug distributors don't report suspicious orders... they could be sued by sedgwick county. "an example of a suspicious order would be a pharmacy order which exceeds ten percent of the prior month's order." the commision's vote, declares an opioid nuisance. it comes as relief to many, including peter ninemire. "i think it's long overdue. w basically have a pandemic in this country that we have 91 people every day that die from opioid overdoses." a former marijuana user, he's lost close personal friends and even family to abuse. "it's killing as many people as car wrecks or gun violence." the commission's move could also give the county money from the federal government to combat the crisis. 6:32 AM"clapping it's something the trump administration declared a public health emergency in october. "we can be the generation tha ends the opioid epidemic. we can do it." in sedgwick county, 135 people died of opioid abuse last year. (nats) ninemire opened the caring center of wichita... to try to help others win the battle that so many fight with substance abuse. "when we start holding people accountable at all levels. then, you know, we hold the distributors accountable, we hold the manufacturers acountable, the medical profession about addiction medicine. there's a real fine line with this whole thing that goes into a lot of education." two months ago, the fbi held a joint conference with law enforcement, and area teachers, and urged parents to have tough and honest conversations with kids, to stop abuse before it begins. police use k-9's every day but this particular narcotics dog -- honda -- is trained for private use -- and she's the newest weapon in the fight against opioids. 6:33 AMkim dacey reports. nats: searching honda can sniff drugs in a matter of seconds... and alerts her handler, christ intyre (it-en-hour)... who runs k-9 protection and detection. he brings honda into businesses. halfway houses... and most recently. into private homes. chris itnyre, k-9 protection and detection : "it's a lot of concerned parent most of them are moms the moms call because they're concerned their kids are bringing narcotics in their house." for 150 bucks.. honda will sniff out any drugs in the home. he says its quicker and much more thorough than a parent searching on their own. chris itnyre: "the only way you're going to find it is with a dog- we find stuff in aaa batteries, cigarete packs, roled up socks. unless you've got a whole entire day to go through every article in the room you're not going to find it. the dog will come in and two thre minutes can find it and move on." it-en-hour marks any hits with blue tape and lets the homeowner deal with the situation. scott dehorty.. executive director of maryland house detox.. says the next step. .should be an immediate call to professionals for help and advice. scott dehorty, maryland house detox: "in anne arundel county we have safe stations at the fire department, we have mobile cris, there are a lot of really good treatment centers around to call for immediate help." he recommends confronting your child as soon as possible-- this is an epidemic that has claimed to many lives to wait... or be concerned about breaking your child's trust. scott dehorty: "there was a point in time wher i would se this service and as a therapist maybe shy away from it. we're in a different time now." intyre hopes.. with honda's help.. he can save lives and help put an end to the opioid epidemic. chris itnyre: "if we can catch the kids at young age and show them that there's a diferent route besides just geting high - that there's more fun thing to do, we can actualy nip it in the bud." for more information on k-9 protection and detection you can go to the website no-contraband- dot-com.
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Dec 8, 2017 | NWS14 (Spectrum News)
By Charlotte, NC
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/31314255?token=785ebe79-3202-44b8-b056-36430153fd77
Rough Transcript: surry county is the latest in north carolina to sue the opioid industry over the drug abuse crisis. the board of commissioners voted this week to file a suit against the five largest manufacturers and the five largest manufacturers and three largest distributors in an effort to offset some of the costs for treatment and law enforcement. attorneys say the industry pushed the highly addictive drugs with insufficient warnings about the risks...and violated the federal controlled substances act. substances act. a statement from the county points out numbers from the c-d-c show opioid prescriptions there in 20-16 was about double the population.
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Dec 7, 2017 | WJHG (NBC)
By Panama City, FL
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/31314668?token=785ebe79-3202-44b8-b056-36430153fd77
Rough Transcript: bay county is no stranger to the opioid crisis. sheriff tommy ford and representative jay trumbull are hosting a community forum about the growing problem. newschannel 7's byron khalil joins us live from panama city with more. byron? ron...both sheriff ford and representative trumbull will speak tonight at the bland conference center at florida state university panama city. the meeting will begin at 5:30. this community meeting is meant to come up with ways to address the opioid abuse problem in bay county. according to the centers for disease control and prevention...bay county along with washington county rank high when it comes to opioid drug prescriptions. recently panama city commissioners have already addressed the issue by announcing their plan to file a lawsuit against five of the largest manufacturers of prescription opioids and related companies. it should be interesting to hear suggestions from the community and how representative trumbull and sheriff ford plan to address this issue possibly through legislation. anchor? byron, thank you. in october sheriff ford traveled to tallahassee to speak with lawmakers about the opioid problem.
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Dec 7, 2017 | WECT (NBC)
By Wilmington, NC
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/31314675?token=785ebe79-3202-44b8-b056-36430153fd77
Rough Transcript: leaders are getting tougher in the fight against opioid abuse.. commissioners in brunswick county declared it a public nuisance this week.. they also authorized t aaking legal action against opioid manufacturers and distributors. 6:02 PMbut some say that's not enough. wect's ben smart met with a leader of the county's opioid addiction task force. ben, he says the county needs to take immediate action so opioid abusers can get help? that's right, don flattery says he's grateful the county declared the issue a public nuisance and authorized legal action. but he says those are long-term solutions -- he wants the county to do more locally and immediately. flattery lost his only son - 26 year old kevin - to an opioid t overdose three years ago. since then, he's become a dedicated advocate on the local lo and national level. he says the county needs to do something right now - locally. with the county task force, he crafted 13 immediate steps commissioners could take to help people with opio id addiction. this includes hiring a hiring someone who will coordinate social services, law enforcement, and healthcare. to fight the opioid epidemic, flattery says the county needs to invest t in treatment. don flattery: "we need to get people access to treatment, and to specifically medications. in brunswick county there are very few physicians who are even authorized one of those medications - buprenorphine. there's not a single methodone maintanence program in their entire county of brunswick. and flattery points out - brunswick county has about 5-million dollars in reserve funds approved for the 2018 fiscal year that could help pay for these immediate solutions.
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Dec 7, 2017 | WTIC (Fox)
By Hartford, CT
Video Link: http://app.criticalmention.com/app/#clip/view/31314689?token=785ebe79-3202-44b8-b056-36430153fd77
Rough Transcript: the city of new britain is the latest conecticut city to sue big name pharmaceutical companies.. for their alleged role in the opioid crisis.. in a lawsuitfiled today.. new britain blamed some of the country's major opioid makers and distributors for misleading the public about the dangers of prescription opioids. and opioid abuse.. the city is seeking compensation for the cost of combatting opioid addiction.. for things like social services and first responders. you may remember.. the cities of new haven and waterbury filing similar lawsuits against many of those same companies earlier this year..
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