AAC
awareness about the dangers of opioids. We need to educate children from elementary school through high school and into college, including specialized training for medically assisted treatment, long-term treatment, and addiction counseling. We need to implement prevention programs in communities throughout the state. We need to develop and expand treat- ment options in our courts, jails, and communities. We need a comprehensive approach to prevent addiction on the front end, and to help addicted citizens recover — before they over- dose and die. All of these initiatives are expensive, and an ef- fective strategy to solve this problem in communities through- out Arkansas is very expensive. Arkansas public officials are ready to work together to implement such a comprehensive strategy. We cannot wait for others to solve this problem. But our governments have very limited funds — especially given the extreme strain on budgets from the ongoing costs of the opioid epidemic.
Te unified litigation approach being taken by the govern- ments of Arkansas, including all 75 counties (72 represented by the AAC-led legal team), is a unique strategy nationwide. To our knowledge, counties and cities have not united in this way in any other state. Our hope is that through cooperative litigation by Arkansas governments against the drug compa- nies that manufacture and distribute opioids, we will expose and prove the drug companies’ alleged responsibility for the opioid epidemic in Arkansas. Te complaint seeks a court dec- laration that the drug companies have violated Arkansas law, and an injunction prohibiting the drug companies from con- tinuing to misrepresent the risks and benefits of opioids. And the complaint seeks to require the drug companies to provide the funding necessary to implement a comprehensive strategy to remediate the opioid epidemic that they allegedly created in the communities of Arkansas. Specifically, the complaint seeks a remedy that would pro- vide the resources necessary to comprehensively intervene in the Arkansas Opioid Epidemic to prevent opioid use, injury, and death; to treat, cure, and prevent opioid misuse and ad- diction; to reduce the supply of dangerous opioids; and to reduce crime and involuntary commitments associated with opioid addiction. If successful, this case would provide neces-
LITIGATION LESSONS
sary resources to, among others, Arkansas law enforcement, first responders, jails, schools, hospitals, clinics, and treatment centers, and it would equip those on the front lines to end this epidemic. Te remedy that we seek for all of Arkansas in this historic case is outlined in a section at the end of the com- plaint entitled the “Prayer for Relief.” If Arkansas is to recover from this opioid epidemic, the united litigation we are pursuing on your behalves must be successful. We pray for a comprehensive and effective solution to the Arkansas Opioid Epidemic on behalf of the counties, cities, communities, families, and addicts of Arkansas. And again, we thank you for the opportunity to pursue Opioid Justice for a United Arkansas.
For the latest news about the Arkansas Opioid litigation, go to
www.arcounties.org/opioid-crisis-in-arkansas
COUNTY LINES, SPRING 2018 23
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