The state of Arkansas has just taken a really big step toward holding those responsible for the opioid crisis accountable. According to CNN, Crittenden county last week filed a lawsuit that unites all of the state’s 75 counties against the pharmaceutical companies Johnson & Johnson, Purdue Pharma, Endo Pharmaceuticals and 49 other opioid manufacturers. The suit accuses these companies of aggressively pushing these harmful drugs into the hands of the public, leading to thousands of deaths and straining public health and law enforcement resources. As of now, none of the drug companies have filed a response.
Reuters reports that Arkansas is the 17th state to sue these pharmaceutical businesses. However, this strategy of having one lawsuit represent the whole state differs greatly from others filed against pharmaceutical companies involved in the opioid crisis; these were mainly filed by individual cities and counties.
Among all of the states heavily affected by the opioid crisis, Arkansas is among the worst. The Chicago Tribune reports that the state had “the second highest opioid prescription rate in the country, with 114.6 prescriptions written for every 100 residents.” So, action is desperately needed in this area. The good news is other states have taken notice. CNN states that “officials in North Carolina, Utah, Mississippi, Iowa and several other states have reached out to learn more about how the case in Arkansas was brought.” This could lead to other giant steps in the valiant effort to contain America’s crippling opioid crisis.