Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 15 March 2017

City alleges drugmaker let OxyContin flood black market

PHUONG LE more permanent hous- about 108,000. Everett al-
Associated Press ing for chronically home- leges the drugmaker did
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — As less people. The city says it nothing to stop it and must
deaths from painkillers and has spent millions combat- pay for damages caused
heroin abuse spiked and ing OxyContin and heroin to the community.
street crimes increased, the abuse — and expects the Everett’s lawsuit, now in
mayor of Everett took ma- tab to rise. federal court in Seattle,
jor steps to tackle the opi- So Everett is suing Purdue accuses Purdue Pharma
oid epidemic devastating Pharma, maker of the opi- of gross negligence and
this working-class city north oid pain medication Oxy- nuisance. The city seeks
of Seattle. Contin, in an unusual case to hold the company ac-
Mayor Ray Stephanson that alleges the drugmaker countable, the lawsuit al-
stepped up patrols, hired knowingly allowed pills to leges, for “supplying Oxy-
social workers to ride with be funneled into the black Contin to obviously suspi-
officers and pushed for market and the city of cious pharmacies and phy-
In this Feb. 16, 2017, photo, Leroy Henry, center, steps out of
his tent in the woods to talk with police officer Kevin Davis, left,
and Sgt. Mike Braley in Everett, Wash. As overdose deaths from
opioids and heroin spiked the mayor of Everett took steps to
tackle the epidemic devastating this working-class city north
of Seattle.
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

sicians and enabling the and noted it leads the in-
illegal diversion of OxyCon- dustry in developing medi-
tin into the black market” cines with properties that
and into Everett, despite a deter abuse, even though
company program to track its products account for less
suspicious flows. than 2 percent of all U.S.
“Our community has been opioid prescriptions.
significantly damaged, In 2007, Purdue Pharma
and we need to be made and its executives paid
whole,” said Stephanson, more than $630 million in
who grew up in Everett and legal penalties to the fed-
is its longest-serving mayor, eral government for willfully
holding the job since 2003. misrepresenting the drug’s
He said the opioid crisis addiction risks.
caused by “Purdue’s drive The same year, it also set-
for profit” has overwhelmed tled with Washington and
the city’s resources, stretch- other states that claimed
ing everyone from first re- the company aggressively
sponders to park crews who marketed OxyContin to
clean up discarded syring- doctors while downplaying
es. The lawsuit doesn’t say the addiction risk.
how much money the city While numerous individuals
is seeking, but the mayor
says Everett will attempt to and states have sued Pur-
quantify its costs in coming due, this case is different
months. because Everett is getting
Connecticut-based Pur- at the results of addiction,
due Pharma says the law- said Elizabeth Porter, asso-
suit paints a flawed and ciate law professor at the
inaccurate picture of the University of Washington.
events that led to the crisis She thinks Everett may have
in Everett. a shot at winning, though
“We look forward to pre- it will have to overcome
senting the facts in court,” some legal burdens, includ-
the company said in a ing showing that diverted
statement. OxyContin from rogue doc-
Purdue said it is “deeply tors and pharmacies was
troubled by the abuse and a substantial factor in the
misuse of our medication,” city’s epidemic.q