Town Of Bel Air Filing Lawsuit Against Opioid Manufacturers

BEL AIR, MD — The Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners voted Monday to sue opioid manufacturers. The decision came about a month after Havre de Grace City Council made a similar move.

The U.S. Justice Department has pledged to support local governments in filing hundreds of lawsuits against manufacturers and distributors, as part of a broader effort to more aggressively target prescription-drug makers for their role in the opioid epidemic, according to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The Bel Air commissioners stated in their resolution that the town will join multiple jurisdictions, including Harford County, that "have filed or are preparing to file lawsuits against various opioid manufacturers and/or distributors in the hope of reducing the availability and over-prescribing of opioid drugs which lead to citizens’ addictions, drug dependency and possibility of overdoses."

The town of Bel Air voted at its meeting Monday night to retain the same law firms that Havre de Grace did in suing opioid manufacturers, according to The Aegis, which reported the resolution passed unanimously, 4-0, with Commissioner Patrick Richards absent.

The town will only be charged if the city recovers damages.

Bel Air is seeking damages for the impact that addiction to opioids has had on public safety and health in the community.

According to the resolution in Bel Air, "the opioid addiction epidemic constitutes a continuing and increasing health problem of crisis proportions which negatively affects the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the Town of Bel Air and their families, and significantly disturbs the peace and good order of the Town of Bel Air, and jeopardizes the protection and preservation of the Town’s property" and "opioid abuse, addiction and overdoses are increasing and placing heightened demand for and strain on local services to include, but not limited to, elevated number of citizens’ visits to the nearby hospital emergency room, addiction treatment services, the Bel Air Police Department, and the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company."

Read the opioid lawsuit resolution at the bottom of the article.

There were a total of five fatal overdoses in Bel Air in 2017 and 33 overdoses that were not fatal, police said.

There were more than 400 heroin-related overdoses in Harford County in 2017, with at least 79 that were fatal. Harford County reported 290 heroin-related overdoses, of which 56 were deadly, in all of 2016.

What Harford County Is Doing

In its resolution to file suit against opioid manufacturers, Bel Air's board of commissioners acknowledged the community and local government is doing a great deal of work to address opioid addiction.

"...the Commissioners recognize that the opioid addiction crisis is being addressed by programs and processes through various branches of government, businesses, and community groups and organizations, to include increased police training and apprehension of offenders, improved court proceedings, programs and outcomes, community-based awareness programs, education, family interventions, and addiction treatment programs," the resolution stated.

Outreach efforts in Harford County have been ongoing to educate the community about the deadly drug.

Harford County launched a public awareness campaign in 2016 to combat the heroin epidemic that includes these elements, among others:

• Billboards and public service announcements
• H.O.P.E. House, a mobile unit to help educate parents about signs of drug use (new in 2017)
• Naloxone trainings for community members to learn how to administer the overdose antidote
• Project Healthy Delivery, a program to help pregnant women with addiction
• Trainings on heroin for professionals, from health teachers to businesses
• Harford County Bar Foundation partnership to help addicts with legal issues
• Speaking tour to educate parents about the problem
• Recovery coaches and recovery coach coordinator to help addicts navigate job opportunities and support services after treatment

Where To Get Help For Addiction

Those seeking treatment for addiction are encouraged to contact Addiction Connections Resource at 443-417-7810. The Jarrettsville-based nonprofit helps people navigate options for assistance, from therapists to halfway houses to treatment centers.

People can also use the treatment locator on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or call the Maryland Crisis Hotline, which provides 24/7 support, at 1-800-422-0009. Marylanders grappling with a substance use disorder can find help as well at BeforeItsTooLateMD.org.

There are Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings available locally as well as Nar-Anon and Al-Anon for family members.

Anyone in Maryland can get Naloxone without a prescription. This medication reverses the effect of an opioid overdose. You can get training and find out more about Naloxone from the Maryland Department of Health.

Opioid Lawsuit Resolution Bel Air by elizabeth on Scribd

>RELATED: Havre de Grace To Sue Opioid Manufacturers

Pictured, Bel Air Mayor Susan Burdette stood outside town hall with five black balloons on Black Balloon Day on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in remembrance of lives lost to heroin in the town of Bel Air in 2017. There were a total of 33 overdoses in town that were not fatal that year, police said. Photo courtesy of the Bel Air Police Department.