Mayor Gahan Joins Lawsuit Against Wholesale Opioid Distributors

Mayor Gahan joins others in a lawsuit against wholesale opioid distributors, which have helped spread the opioid addiction crisis.

“The opioid crisis is spreading to communities across the nation, and we all need to be more active in learning about what we can do to prevent opioid addiction,” stated Mayor Gahan.

Earlier this week, Mayor Gahan attended the 8th Annual Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Symposium in Indianapolis, where keynote speaker Governor Chris Christie, head of the National Commission on the Opioid Crisis, shared specifics on the epidemic which kills over 175 people per day. The conference featured workshops and speakers from a cross section of professions that intersect with the opioid crisis, including doctors, medical professionals, law enforcement officers, rehabilitation clinic professionals, municipal and state leaders, and more.

Here are a few startling facts that were presented at the conference:

• 4 out of 5 heroin addicts began their addiction on legal, prescription pain medications.
• Americans consume 85% of the world’s drugs, while holding only 4% of the world’s population.
• The opioid epidemic kills over 175 people every day.

Additionally, the City of New Albany applied and is under consideration for the Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayor’s Challenge Grant. The grant is focused on the need for early education, the adverse effects of a highly addictive group of drugs called opioids, and what we can do as a community to assist in fighting this epidemic.