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Orland Fire joins class action lawsuit to block Opioid addiction
The Orland Fire Protection and 13 other municipalities including several from the southwest suburbs have filed a class action suit against Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of opioid-based prescription drugs, and 26 other defendants accused of downplaying the negative impact of opioids on users and fueling the rising opioid crisis
The Orland Fire Protection District joined 13 Illinois governments including several from the Southwest Suburbs in filing a class action lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County against Purdue Pharma, one of the leading manufacturers of opioid-based prescription drugs, and 26 other pharmaceutical companies and three doctors.
The lawsuit alleges that Purdue Pharma intentionally downplayed the negative harm that their products would have on users, and engaged in “a years’ long campaign to misrepresent the risks of, and shift public opinion on, the use of prescription opioids to treat chronic non-cancer pain.”
The class action lawsuit further asserts, “Defendant manufacturers purposefully and aggressively marketed opioid products for unapproved uses, buried unfavorable research, and employed a network of phony front groups, opinion leaders, and sales representatives to expand the market for opioids and obtain massive profits.”
Lead attorney James J. Roche, who represents the Orland Fire Protection District, said that the lawsuit, filed on July 19, 2018, also targets doctors who allegedly over-prescribed opioids to their patients.
“The opioid epidemic has caused extreme financial hardship and personal tragedy throughout the fire district. Every time an ambulance is deployed, paramedics and firefighters must respond,” said Roche, of James J. Roche Associates in Chicago.
“The fire district has received in excess of 80 calls per year due to this epidemic.”
Also represented in the class action lawsuit are the City of Harvey, the Village of Broadview, the Village of Chicago Ridge, the Village of Dolton, the Village of Hoffman Estates, the Village of Maywood, the Village of Merrionette Park, the Village of North Riverside, the Village of Orland Park, the City of Peoria, the Village of Posen, the Village of River Grove, and the Village of Stone Park.
Prescription opioids are devastating communities across the country and in the State of Illinois. Since 1999, there have been more than 351,000 reported opioid-related deaths nationwide—more than 6 times the number of U.S. soldiers who died in the Vietnam War.
Today, an American dies from an opioid overdose every 19 minutes and more than 60% of all drug overdose deaths in the United States involve an opioid, according to the class action lawsuit. In addition to the tragic loss of life and the heartbreaking impact on children and loved ones, some estimates state that the opioid crisis is costing governmental entities and private companies as much as $500 billion per year.
The Orland Fire Protection District has had educational programs through schools and public seminars now, in excess of 5 years. The fire district has sued many of the manufacturers of these opioids, along with certain doctors, alleging they had knowledge of the damage caused by these opioids and put corporate profits in front of public safety. “We believe that the opioid crisis will result in litigation similar to the Tobacco case of the 1990s. We look forward to having these manufacturers be held accountable for the damage done to our communities,” said attorney Roche.
Also named as defendants along with Purdue Pharma are: Purdue Pharma L.P., Purdue Pharma, Inc., Purdue Frederick Company, Inc., Rhodes Pharmaceuticals, Cephalon, Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd., Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., Endo International PLC, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Inc., Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Janssen Pharmaceutica, Inc., Insys Therapeutics, Inc., Normaco, Inc., Endo Health Solutions, Inc., Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Allergan PLC, Actavis PLC, Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Watson Laboratories, Inc., Actavis Pharma, Inc., Actavis LLC, Mallinckrodt PLC, Mallinckrodt LLC, Amerisourcebergen Corporation, Cardinal Health, Inc., McKesson Corporation, and doctors Paul Madison, William McMahon, and Joseph Giacchino.
The class action lawsuit alleges that “Defendants Paul Madison, William McMahon, and Joseph Giacchino were working around the clock to prescribe opioids to anyone who came through the door of their clinic in Riverside, Illinois—whether or not they had a valid need for them, were from out-of-state, or presented any number of patently suspicious traits. The pill mill they operated distributed thousands upon thousands of opioid prescriptions to countless residents of Plaintiffs’ communities, completing a chain of indifferent profiteering that has marked the acts—and omissions—of all Defendants’ conduct in making, distributing, and selling prescription opioids.”
The case was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Case #2018-CH-09020
Click here to download lawsuit.
Story from July 20, 2014
Fire District puzzled by Orland Mayor’s criticism of fighting drug abuse
Orland Fire District rebuffs criticism from Orland Park Mayor McLaughlin and urges government agencies to work together to fight rising drug use
By Ray Hanania
Parents and students packed an Orland Fire Protection District community-wide meeting on drug and substance abuse Tuesday July 15, 2014
The Orland Fire Prevention District is puzzled and surprised that Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin would criticize the Fire District for hosting a program to raise awareness among parents about drug and substance abuse in the suburban region.
The program was held on Tuesday night (July 15) and has been hosted annually for the past four years. It was widely publicized, showcasing student role models and parents whose children and families have experienced the tragedy of drugs and substance abuse.
McLaughlin issued a press release Friday that falsely accused the Fire District of disseminating “inaccurate information” about drug use. It implies there is no heroin or substance abuse problem in Orland Park or the immediate suburbs and contradicts public statements made only four weeks earlier by Orland Park Police Chief Tim McCarthy.
“We are deeply disappointed McLaughlin would issue his criticism without even contacting us to discuss the issue, or even attending the event which was widely publicized in the media,” Orland Fire Protection District President Jim Hickey said.
Brian Kirk, The HERO Foundation
“The mayor’s press release was filled with inaccurate and irresponsible statements. I am deeply disappointed when public officials show more concern for their public images rather than for the safety and well-being of our citizens.”
Hickey said the information disseminated at the Fire District’s public meeting was accurate and correctly defined the threat of heroin and substance abuse as serious concerns that must be addressed by an educated community.
“It would be shameful to believe public officials would bury their heads in the sand and pretend there is no drug abuse problem in our region. The data shows a frightening increase in heroin and opiate abuse in this region and it needs to be addressed,” Hickey said. “That’s the only conclusion I can make from the mayor’s actions.”
Hickey said McLaughlin overreacted to a newspaper article which may have unfairly characterized the school district as being unresponsive, but the fact is there hasn’t been a concerted effort to address the rising drug problems.
“Drug use isn’t a problem that plagues ‘bad neighborhoods’ or ‘poor communities.’ It’s a problem everywhere and responsible public officials should do everything they can to educate and inform the public. That’s what the Fire District has and will continue to do,” Hickey said.
Fire Chief Ken Brucki, Bat Chief Michael Schofield, Brian Kirk, Sandburg athlete Pat Brucki, Denver Broncos draft pick Michael Schofield, US Olympic Ice Hockey Medalist and Sandburg Graduate Kendall Coyne, Tami O’Brien, OFPD Board President Jim Hickey, OFPD Trustees Chris Evoy and Jayne Schirmacher.
The Fire District is more than willing to meet with Mayor McLaughlin, Police Supt. McCarthy and officials from the local schools, Hickey said, to work together and develop a unified stand against drug abuse in a more appropriate manner rather than through public criticism from officials who didn’t even attend the meeting.
Tami O’Brien
The Fire District program was not funded by taxpayer dollars and was conducted by volunteers who included three current and former Sandburg students, Michael Schofield, who was drafted by the Denver Broncos, Olympic Ice Hockey Silver Medalist Kendall Coyne, and Patrick Brucki a current Sandburg student athlete. The three students reached out to the more than 100 parents and students who attended the two hour long seminar.
Their message was clear: “Drugs are not fun. They are dangerous. And students must resist the temptation to hang around other kinds who are using drugs.”
The meeting included the experiences of two parents whose children were involved in drugs and substance abuse, including the father of a high school senior who died of heroin use. They related how their children made the “wrong choices,” destroying their lives and their families. Tami O’Brien and Brian Kirk represented the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM) and The Hero Foundation.
The program, cohosted by In the Blink of an Eye Foundation headed by OFPD Battalion Chief Michael Schofield, was widely publicized for six weeks. It attracted many community leaders including Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman, and Village of Orland Park Trustee Dan Calandriello.
The information reflected firsthand data as experienced by emergency medical personnel and first responders from the Fire District.
Kendall Coyne, Olympic Ice Hockey Silver Medalist
“Firefighters are oftentimes the first people at the scene of a drug or substance abuse incident. We are called to save their lives,” said Fire Chief Ken Brucki.
“Helping parents understand what is involved and what can be done can help save more lives. That’s why we continue to host this program and will host it again next year.”
Data clearly shows an alarming increase in heroin use in Orland Park, in the Fire District, and in the suburban region.
During the presentation, Brucki said he spoke about drug use among elementary school children “throughout the region,” not specifically or just in School District 135 or with respect to the local schools.
“At no time did we criticize the Village, the Police or the school districts. We noted the drug problem is growing not just in Orland Park but in neighboring suburban communities,” Brucki said.
Brucki cited an article in the local media on Friday July 18th that highlighted the success of the HELPS program started in Will County which has created “a phenomenal downturn in heroin related deaths” and which works to combine efforts from various branches of community leadership.
“We have most recently had a great relationship with the leadership of local school districts, including District 135, on education and prevention and we want that to continue,” Brucki said.
Hickey said that last month, Police Supt. McCarthy told local media that heroin use was a problem. He announced police will carry Narcan (Naxalon) in their vehicles to respond to drug abuse issues. Narcan can reverse the effects of opiate and heroin overdoses.
McCarthy’ was quoted as saying he “first noticed” an increase in heroin use in 2009, noting last year “Orland Park had 13 drug overdoses and six deaths, including five that involved heroin.” This year, McCarthy said, the department has seen eight overdoses and one death.
Hickey said McCarthy’s observations only reinforce the need to bring government officials together to address this growing problem.
Orland Park is only one community in the Orland Fire Protection District, which serves 75,000 residents in 33 square miles, including in Orland Hills and areas of unincorporated Orland Township.
The Fire District released the following incident report which shows a steady increase in heroin and opiate use since 2009. The figures do not include substance abuse incidents where Narcan was not administered.
“The incidents involved patients who displayed extreme drug seizures, were visibly unconscious, or were facing an extreme danger to life, such as experiencing a Heroin or opiate-like overdose,” Hickey said.
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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