Could opioid lawsuit result in tobacco court settlement?

Bonneville has become another county that has joined suit against ‘Big Pharma’ companies in the on-going opioid epidemic, there are parallels that are reminiscent of these cases and litigation against big tobacco in 90’s.

“Opioids have a very important place in the medical community and I’m not suggesting otherwise”. Bonneville County Prosecutor Daniel Clark joined several other counties around Idaho in a lawsuit against ‘Big pharma’ companies who aggressively pushed the drugs from the early 2000’s to the present that led to a high number of overdose deaths, and lack of resources for public health.

But could an opioid lawsuit lead to an out of court settlement, like the one big tobacco received twenty years ago?

Possibly.

That’s the question of drug manufacturers and healthcare companies that are involved in the production, sale, and distribution of opioids would have reason to fear.

With no known health-related benefits, opioids can be used in the aid of pain reduction in the appropriate course of action.

After decades of anti-smoking research on the long-standing effects of smoking, big tobacco companies were forced into a master settlement.

However, with the known risks of tobacco, and growing opioid usage, some argue that there isn’t enough fact-based research.

If a potential settlement does happen, it might result in better education to the public to discourage the public from opioid use.

This lawsuit is about the manufacturers and distributors who have pushed this onto our communities, neighborhoods, and schools. One result of the tobacco settlement was an anti-smoking campaign geared at the reduction of smokers paid for by the tobacco industry

According to anti-smoking research, like tobacco,’Big Pharma’ can always find a way around any agreement.

As part of the settlement, the tobacco companies was an anti-smoking campaign to reduce the number of smokers that are funded by the tobacco industry.

However, It’s not clear whether or not that could happen between the opioid and pharmaceutical industry.

One resolution would be to focus on science-based research that could create a less addictive painkiller.

“This issue isn’t about getting money, this issue is about being apart of a conversation on how to deal with this.”

You can view the full lawsuit here