Baltimore County has joined the ranks of counties within the state and nationwide suing pharmaceutical drug manufacturers and distributors for their role contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis. The suit, filed in federal court, seeks monetary damages.

A county news release states:

“The opioid crisis has led to a significant increase of overdoses from heroin and prescription drug abuse,” said Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. “We believe that the pharmaceutical industry pressured and cajoled physicians into prescribing opioids for chronic pain, and vastly misrepresented the risk of addiction. The desire to increase profits on the part of drug companies is a leading cause of our nation’s health crisis, and we must fight back.”

In the first six months of 2017, Baltimore County had 187 substance-related deaths. The County has incurred expenses relating to first-responder intervention, drug and alcohol counseling programs, employee prescription expense, and loss of economic revenue to the County, among other costs.

For more information:

Baltimore County to Sue Pharmaceutical Companies and Distributors over Opioid Distribution (Baltimore County news release)