Latimer: Opioid epidemic impacts in many ways
WHITE PLAINS – Lawyers for Westchester County Government Tuesday
filed a lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of opioids. To
date, 60 of the 62 counties in the state have taken similar actions in
the belief that the opioid epidemic has been fueled by manufacturers misleading
the public about the dangers of their drugs.
County Executive George Latimer said the drug scourge impacts the community
in many ways.
“This epidemic has represented not only the loss of life, but the
cost of taxpayers and others that have to offset the treatment, the public
education, the law enforcement efforts that have to go above and beyond
in order to fight this,” he said.
Stephanie Marquesano is the founder and president of The Harris Project,
named for her 19-year-old son who died by an accidental opioid overdose
in 2013.
“As an advocate and someone who is truly living a nightmare, the
silver lining for me is that I live in Westchester County where there
is much support for turning the tide on this epidemic and changing outcomes
through innovative solutions,” she said.
County Attorney John Nonna said the county believes that “the manufacturers,
marketers and promoters of these drugs have misled us as to the addictive
power of these drugs in their negligent marketing and misleading promotion
of them.” He said they “should, and will be, held accountable
for this conduct.”
