Carlucci Calls for AG Schneiderman to File a Lawsuit Against Opioid Manufacturers

As opioid related deaths continue to rise and municipalities continue to file similar lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Westchester) is requesting Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to file a similar suit on behalf of New York State. 

In a letter to Schneiderman, Carlucci stated manufacturers must be held "accountable for the role they have played in contributing to this ongoing epidemic through their use of deceptive acts and false advertising that has mislead doctors and patients on the high addiction level of the opioids they have manufactured." 

Earlier this year, the States of Ohio and Missouri took action by filing lawsuits against opioid manufacturers.  A significant body of evidence exists that accuses opioid manufacturers of using deceptive marketing of their brand-name opioids, namely Oxycontin and Percocet, to entice people, including young patients, to use highly addictive painkillers.  Evidence further shows that these manufacturers have misled doctors on the addictive level of these opioids.  For example, the Ohio lawsuit accuses pharmaceutical companies of fueling the opioid crisis by misleading doctors about the risks of addiction. 

"We must use every resource at our disposal to slow down the heart-wrenching pace of the opioid epidemic including the court system.  I know the Attorney General shares our commitment to stopping the opioid epidemic and has shown the courage to take on tough opponents.  Adding New York to the legal fight against opioid manufacturers is a very powerful statement that we have to make," Carlucci concluded.