This week, in a federal courtroom, my deputy city attorneys and I began a first-of-its-kind trial, against four corporations who share responsibility for creating and fueling the opioid crisis that has devastated San Francisco and cities across America.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers Allergan and Teva, wholesale distributor Anda, and the Walgreens pharmacy chain all created a public health disaster through their corporate decisions. They misled doctors, patients and the public about the risks of using prescription opioids. They routinely ignored suspicious opioid orders and evidence of diversion into illegal markets. Their actions led to a dramatic increase in opioid addictions, overdoses, and deaths.
Click here to read more about the trial––and please share with friends.
While many lawsuits have been brought related to this crisis, this trial is special. It’s the first trial in the country to go after all three links of the opioid supply chain: manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies. It’s an opportunity to bring each to justice and hold them responsible. While no amount of money or anything we do can bring back the lives lost, we need them to pay for what they did to our community. These companies put their greed ahead of human lives, and their enormous profits came at a staggering human cost to our city.
Here in San Francisco, the magnitude of the problem created by these companies cannot be overstated. In 2020, more than twice as many people died due to opioid overdose deaths than from COVID-19. From 2006 to 2014, there were over 163 million prescription pain pills supplied to San Francisco alone––enough for 22 pills per resident per year. On a typical day, up to 25% of all visits to the San Francisco General Hospital’s Emergency Department are opioid-related.
For more context about the trial, read this article today and pass it along.
The opioid epidemic has touched many elements of San Francisco, from homelessness to public health to public safety. We need to bring those responsible to justice, and this trial represents our best opportunity to do that. My deputies and I are working hard to use the tools we have under the law to hold them accountable.
I will keep you posted as the trial develops.