Newtown Twp To File Lawsuit Against Opioid Manufacturers

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Newtown Township will file a lawsuit against drug makers who produce opioid medications, the board decided during a meeting this week.

The measure to file the lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of opioid medications passed by a 4-1 vote at a meeting Wednesday.

Solicitor David Sander said the complaint will seek unspecified monetary damages. The suit is being filed because the board has established that Newtown "ought to stand up and take its place among the many, many municipalities" that are filing similar suits, Sander said.

The lawsuit will not cost the township money, Supervisors Chairman Phil Calabro explained. "It's basically Newtown Township making a stand of principal," he noted.

The financial gain may be minimal, Calabro said, but "we're making a statement that we're standing up against these manufacturers and hopefully it will do something to regulate the industry a little more."

Kyle Davis, who was the lone vote against filing the lawsuit, said he didn't believe going after the manufacturers was the solution to the opioid crisis. "I don't think they're the cause of the issue, I think overprescription probably is and there are some other issues of well," he said. Davis said by filing a lawsuit, it sends a message to those manufacturers that "Newtown Township is not a friendly place for your business."

The township joins several other cities and municipalities, including Bucks County, in filing a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers. Last May, Bucks County filed a lawsuit against major manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids in an attempt to stop the flood of addictive medications into the community, and recoup costs associated with the crisis.

In a 159-page civil complaint, Bucks County is seeking an undetermined amount of compensatory and punitive damages from 17 corporate defendants and one individual the county says is responsible for the opioid epidemic locally and across the nation.

There were 232 overdose fatalities in Bucks County in 2017 — an 89 percent increase over 2015.

You can watch the full meeting here.

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