Summary

King County Executive Dow Constantine and Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg today announced that King County will file a lawsuit to hold pharmaceutical companies responsible for their role in the region’s opioid crisis.

Story

Following a federal court decision on Sept. 25 that allowed the City of Everett’s lawsuit against Purdue Pharma for damages caused by OxyContin to proceed, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced that King County will pursue financial damages from drug companies that supplied prescription painkillers to residents of King County.

King County has continued to see record drug and opiate-related deaths.  Nationally, sales of prescription pain relievers in 2010 were four times those in 1999.

“The opioid epidemic in our community, and across this state, has been nothing less than catastrophic,” said Executive Constantine. “Those who unleashed and profited from this tragedy must be held accountable to help pay the price of recovery. Families and individuals in every corner of our region - irrespective of race, age or income - have suffered from the recklessness of the opioid industry. We want them to pay the cost of our public health response, and we want to stop this kind of abuse of the public trust from ever happening again.”

Quotes

The opioid epidemic in our community, and across this state, has been nothing less than catastrophic. Those who unleashed and profited from this tragedy must be held accountable to help pay the price of recovery. Families and individuals in every corner of our region - irrespective of race, age or income - have suffered from the recklessness of the opioid industry. We want them to pay the cost of our public health response, and we want to stop this kind of abuse of the public trust from ever happening again.

For more information, contact:

Alex Fryer, Executive Office, 206-477-7966

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