The City of Noblesville along with Atlanta, Sheridan and Westfield have joined the list of several other Indiana communities in filing a lawsuit against drug manufacturers and distributors of opioids.
The suit was filed by Noblesville on Monday in the United States District Court of Southern Indiana.
Representatives from Sheridan, Atlanta and Westfield confirmed their legal action on Tuesday.
Noblesville’s suit lists fourteen drug manufacturers and four distributors as defendants.
Hamilton County communities have joined other cities, towns and counties throughout Indiana in filing a federal lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of opioid drugs. (Reporter photo by Jeff Jellison)
A statement released by Noblesville said, “The City of Noblesville has joined other Hoosier cities to hold the manufacturers and distributors of highly addictive opioids responsible for the crisis that our public safety departments are struggling to cope with. Noblesville has filed a federal lawsuit – at no cost to taxpayers – to seek damages that would pay for the rising costs of battling the opioid epidemic that is now the leading cause of death for people under the age of 50.”
The suit alleges Indiana has been especially ravaged by the national opioid crisis and Indiana has an opioid prescription rate of 109.1 per 100 persons, which ranks ninth in the country (the median rate for states is 82.5) and a benzodiazepine prescription rate of 42.9 per 100 persons, which ranks 17th nationally (the median rate for states is 37.7).
Documents filed in Federal Court indicate Indiana opioid overdose deaths rose 52 percent between 2015 and 2016 and have more than double in the last three years.
Noblesville alleges the opioid epidemic is particularly devastating in its city. During the period of 2011 to 2015, the number of non-fatal emergency department visits due to opioid overdoses in Hamilton County has nearly doubled.
Hamilton County, with 410 non-fatal emergency room visits for opioid overdoses, ranked fourth in the state during the period of 2011 to 2015. Marion County led the state during the reporting period with 2,557 visits.
The lawsuit states, “This incredible harm to not just the victims of opioid addiction, but the communities in which those individuals lived, stems directly from the Defendants’ intentional choice to pump opioids into Plaintiff’s Community in violation of state and federal law.”