June 06—The city of
Dayton is suing more than a dozen pharmaceutical companies, distributors and
pain specialists it alleges caused the opioid crisis that has killed thousands
of Ohioans, drained public resources and wasted taxpayer dollars.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley on Monday
announced the city is filing suit because she says drug companies and
distributors have financially benefited from the state's worsening opiate
epidemic while Ohio's communities and residents suffered.
"We believe the drug companies
made this mess, and it is time they stop passing the buck to Ohio's taxpayers
and started paying to clean it up," Whaley said. "The drug companies
are profiting, and we are paying for it."
The city's lawsuit comes less than one
week after Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the state will sue five
pharmaceutical companies that marketed addictive prescription pain medication.
Whaley, however, said the state's
lawsuit does not go far enough to hold accountable all of the parties
responsible for opiate addiction.
DeWine and Whaley are both running for
Ohio governor and have made battling opiate addiction a key pillar of their
platforms.
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