POUGHKEEPSIE – The City of Poughkeepsie, along with many other municipalities and counties, already has litigation targeting opioid manufacturers in effort to recover the cost of coping with the opioid crisis. The common council adopted a resolution Monday night to put a bit more teeth into its suit.
Corporation Counsel Paul Ackerman asked the council to declare a “nuisance” in the situation.
“This will allow for a cost recovery, as any other public nuisance that we prosecute on almost a daily basis in the City of Poughkeepsie.”
Ackerman said the crisis has rapidly become a major drain on city resources, including law enforcement, and a costly drain. He said on average, there are at least two overdose cases in the city each week.
“It is probably, dollar-wise, a hundred thousand to 200 thousand dollars a year over 10 years, probably.”
The resolution was adopted unanimously by the seven council members present.
