The opioid crisis affects everyone and it is not being overlooked in Marshall County.
According to the Marshall County Health Department figures, the number of overdose deaths due to opioid and prescription drug abuse went from one in 2015 to 13 in 2016 and 16 already in 2017. County Attorney Jim Clevenger presented information to the Marshall County Commissioners Monday morning asking them to consider joining an Indianapolis firm to pursue opioid litigation in a multi-district, federal litigation against the manufacturers and distributors of highly addictive prescription medications. Clevenger noted that some prescriptions could be in question.
“A number of different kinds of claims are involved with it, but it’s basically that these folks knew about the highly addictive nature of this particular drug and weren’t very careful about making sure that those that shouldn’t have had it or certainly shouldn’t have had it for as long,” explained Clevenger. “Apparently, the figures are pretty significant. The longer you’re on these opioid-based prescription drugs, the risk for addiction is significantly higher.”
He added that addiction could become criminal as many turn to heroin to feed that addiction.
Clevenger said there is no cost to pursue the litigation. The county could receive damages to further education for residents. Other local governments may also consider joining in the litigation.
Health Administrator Christine Stinson told the commissioners that the opioid situation is a crisis situation.
“In my tenure in public health I haven’t seen any other drug do this,” stated Stinson. “I’ve dealt with meth and the cleanup of meth houses. What opioids are doing to our communities is staggering. Eighty percent of the people that have a heroin addiction started with a legally prescribed opioid. We’re going to have to do something. Litigation? I don’t know. All I can tell you is that I’m looking at what it’s causing in our communities and it’s absolute chaos.”
No decision was made during Monday’s meeting although the commissioners did speak favorably of joining the litigation. Clevenger will attempt to get an attorney from the Indianapolis firm Cohen and Malad to present more information at the commissioners’ next meeting on Monday, Nov. 20.
