Yesterday, Cincinnati joined a growing number of cities who have sued pharmaceutical companies in an attempt to hold them accountable for the opioid crisis. The federal suit was filed in the Southern District Court in Columbus. It accuses three companies, AmericaSourceBergen Drug, Cardinal Health, and McKesson Corporation of flooding the market with pills and that " such unlawful conduct resulted in the foreseeable, widespread diversion of prescription opioids into the illicit market,1970 U.S.C.C.A.N. §§ 4566, 4571-72, creating a serious public health and safety crisis in Cincinnati involving opioid abuse, addiction, morbidity and mortality, and is a public nuisance." The complaint goes on to accuse the companies of RICO violations.
President Trump declared the opioid issue a "national emergency" last week. The Ohio Attorney General sued manufacturers in May. Clermont County announced plans to file a suit in July, and the Washington Post recently reported that over 25 municipalities had filed litigation in the last year. I first wrote about opioid litigation back in January. As more and more suits pile up, it will be interesting to see if any cities actually get results.
As this crisis intensifies, it is important to know where to find help. If you or a loved one is suffering from addiction, see the below resources for help.
Narcotics Anonymous Cincinnati