Plumas County seeks settlement over opioid crisis
Plumas County is joining the ranks of California counties seeking settlement from a number of defendants for the opioid epidemic. Thirty counties in the state have entered into a coalition and filed complaints against pharmacutical companies, distributors and retailers for creating the opioid epidemic.
Counties like San Diego, Nevada and Fresno counties have united for the cause and represent 10.4 million people throughout the state.
All 30 counties are filing suit in the federal court. Plumas County, which at one time had the highest death per capita in the state due to opioids, filed a complaint and joined 500 other public entities seeking restitution.
Plumas County retained the national law firm Baron & Budd, along with a joint venture of law firms, to initiate litigation against a long list of manufacturers and distributors, and a few retail pharmacies.
Deputy Plumas County Counsel Gretchen Stuhr said the purpose of the litigation is to receive settlement money for the taxpayer funds that have had to go toward combating the epidemic. The legal action will include the cost recovery action and settlement funds to help prevent current and future problems with the opioid crisis.
The grounds for the complaints are misinformation, false advertising claims and racketeering on the part of the manufacturer defendants.
“The drug companies claimed opioids were not addictive, but obviously [they] are highly addictive,” said Stuhr.
Some of the expected manufacture defendants include Purdue Pharma, Teva Ltd. and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Some of the drugs manufactured by these companies include OxyContin, Actiq and Norco.
Stuhr said because it is a federal case, progress will be slow, but they are optimistic that it will end in a settlement from the defendents for the benefit of the county.
how about the local pharmacies?
Good point, Howard. I’m sure district supervisor and pharmacy owner, Kevin Goss, has profited handsomely from this epidemic. It would seem to be a bit of a double standard to support such a lawsuit after silently reaping the rewards, but free money, right?
Will plumas county support lawsuits against manufactures of orher products like fire arms too in the future?
It’s really hard to put a price on the true costs of this preventable epidemic, lives have been lost, others ruined. This seems like a convenient way of subverting any responsibility at a local level. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know that opiates are addictive, not then, not now. Anyway, now would be a good time to ask ourselves why the sheriff’s department has a catch and release policy for herion dealers? Do we really want plumas to be a sanctuary county for herion dealers?
Hmmmm. Who wouldn’t know that opiods would be addictive?? Also catch and release?! That’s pretty funny! I believe that’s not a Policy. I believe that had something to do with the Voters not doing their homework! I don’t believe law enforcement wants them back on the street any more than we do.
This has nothing to do with immigrants, but rather how a few local drug dealers have been allowed to walk, most recently a heroin dealer. It seems a few in the community like Lindsey are rather embarrassed by the county’s policy and would rather dwell about the spelling of an illicit drug, rather than actually solve the problems our community has embattled, sad huh?
Would you support policies that make plumas a sanctuary county for heroin dealers?
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1908762415814622&id=148813438476204&__tn__=%2As%2As-R
Dede he’s been harping on this catch and release thing like forever.
I gave up on Tax payer/voter long ago but promise I’ll start to listen again if he ever runs for Sheriff.
And just for the record it’s Heroin not Herion. Some people shouldn’t ignore their spell checker!
Lindsey, my concerns are not with the correct spelling of heroin, but with the families that have experienced the worst of this epidemic. Nearly everyone in the county has been affected, or knows someone that has been affected by the opioid epidemic. Your lack of empathy and denial of these policies is disheartening to say the least.