SnoCo Opioid Lawsuit Moves Forward After Council Vote Monday

EVERETT, WA - The Snohomish County Council on Monday unanimously supported a lawsuit from the county prosecutor's office that seeks to hold responsible the companies and individuals associated with the ongoing opioid addiction crisis hurting local citizens.

The vote took place Jan. 28 in the Snohomish County Superior Courthouse. Joining the council in its support were County Executive Dave Somers and Sheriff Ty Trenary.

"The devastation of the opioid epidemic has been felt in every corner of our county and region," Somers said in a statement released after the vote. "This lawsuit is an important step in making amends for the damage done to our neighbors and family members by this predatory behavior."

The lawsuit alleges Purdue Pharma (the makers of OxyContin), McKesson Pharmaceutical (an opioid distributor), and other local physicians, clinics, and pharmacies engaged in reckless misconduct by ignoring criminal activity and choosing instead to "supply massive and disturbing quantities of OxyContin" to a Los Angeles-based drug ring.

"From a broader, defendant perspective, we're going after the whole food chain," county spokesman Kent Patton told Patch Monday.

The lawsuit asserts Purdue and McKesson knew the opioid orders being placed in LA were illegitimate but went ahead and filled them anyway, "pursuing corporate interests over the interests of our residents," Patton said, noting the companies' decision combined with the misconduct of local medical providers "resulted in dangerous quantities of OxyContin being illegally diverted into Snohomish County."

The vast majority of local medical providers have reportedly partnered with the county to address the opioid issue and work to ensure responsible opioid distribution, but the actions of a few have caused significant harm, Patton explained.

"One out of every three inmates booked in our jail is immediately placed on an opioid withdrawal watch," Trenary said in a statement supporting the lawsuit. "The nexus between opioid misuse, addiction and criminal activity is clear. It's time to hold those who have been irresponsibly dumping large quantities of powerful and highly addictive narcotics into our communities responsible."

The county and its partners reportedly have numerous examples of clear misconduct, which include emails and other internal documents directly from Purdue and McKesson.

"It is clear from the evidence that our opioid epidemic was not a random natural event but instead a calculated attempt to victimize our residents," SnoCo Councilor Sam Low said in a statement. "We are filing this lawsuit on behalf of every family member who suffers from opioid addiction and our residents who have had to bear the burden of crime and disorder brought on by addiction."

The lawsuit is just the latest local effort to address the ongoing opioid crisis. Other cooperative initiatives started by the county since it chose to fight opioid addiction in November 2017 include the establishment of the Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) Group.

MAC, according to Patton, has so far helped reduce the Medical Examiner's wait time on toxicology results from suspected overdose deaths, seen more than 800 people trained to administer the overdose-reversing drug Narcan, and increased by 10 percent the number of medical providers who prescribe opioid addiction treatment drug Suboxone.

"Across the region, we've seen too many lives lost and broken from opioid addiction," Councilor Brian Sullivan, said in a statement. "For these companies that have preyed on the most vulnerable in our community, there needs to be an accounting. Our action today will ensure they pay a price."

For more information on Snohomish County's strategy to address opioid addiction, visit SnohomishOverdosePrevention.com.

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This post was updated from its original version.

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