City of Dayton Files Lawsuit Against Opiate Manufacturers and Distributors in Ohio

[image-1]Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley announced this morning that she and her city are filing a lawsuit against major pharmaceutical manufacturers and drug distributors in Ohio. That lawsuit echoes the state's own legal action last week.

"The heroin epidemic is no accident," Whaley said today. "It did not just happen. It started with the drug companies." Dayton ranks among the highest number of drug overdoses in the U.S.

"We are beyond a crisis," she said. "We have lost so many people ... We need action now."

Whaley argued that drug companies are profiting off the backs of taxpayers. The epidemic is such that police and EMS resources are stretched thin, placing communities all over Ohio in a place of danger. Already this year so far, the city of Dayton has used Narcan to revive overdose victims more often than all of 2016 — by a 50-percent increase.

"Even the state's lawsuit does not go far enough to hold accountable all the bad actors," Whaley said. (The Ohio lawsuit targeted only five manufacturers.)
It should be noted that both Attorney General Mike DeWine and Whaley are 2018 governor candidates.

Whaley also said that the city of Lorain will soon file a lawsuit against those same actors. Mayor Chase Ritenauer will propose legislation tonight.

We'll keep an eye on this case, as well as the DeWine lawsuit.