Cook County 'opts in' to join national opioid lawsuit

Cook County is opting to be involved with a nationwide class action lawsuit that targets opioid manufacturers and distributors for their alleged role in the ongoing health crisis.

During a special meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, Nov. 19, County Attorney Molly Hicken says the board voted to take no action, which means the county is “opting in” to the lawsuit.

The National Prescription Opiate Litigation alleges the manufacturers of prescription opioids “grossly misrepresented” the risks of long-term use of painkillers, and that distributors failed to monitor suspicious orders of those drugs. The plaintiffs, which include Cook County, allege those factors have greatly contributed to the ongoing opioid crisis.

Although the settlement could be in the tens of billions of dollars, a total sum has not been determined at this time. For every $1 billion in the settlement that will be spread between cities and counties across the country, Cook County is likely to receive just over $6,000, according to an online database that calculates estimated settlement sums.

Information released in the summer of 2019 shows that in Cook County from 2006 to 2012 there were more than 1.2 million prescription pain pills supplied locally, enough for 33 pills per person annually.

All counties and municipalities in the country were automatically a part of the class in the lawsuit. Hicken says the county had until Nov. 22 to decide if they wanted to opt out of the lawsuit. By not taking action Tuesday, Hicken says the board agreed to remain involved with the lawsuit.

Other cities and counties across the country are opting out of the lawsuit largely with the intention of pursuing their own legal action against opioid manufacturers and distributors. Nearby St. Louis County continues to weigh this option as the deadline approaches. The Duluth area suffers from some of the highest opioid death rates per capita in the Upper Midwest.

In 2016, Minnesota state officials released a comprehensive report on the opioid crisis. Among its findings was that opioid deaths had risen dramatically in Minnesota since 1999, and Native American communities in the state were experiencing a death rate five times that of the state’s white residents.

Moving forward, the projected funds provided to Cook County is $6,761 for every $1 billion in the overall settlement, or approximately $1.30 for every local resident.  By comparison, St. Louis County is poised to receive more than $176,000 for every billion involved in the settlement.

Tuesday’s special meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners was not live streamed or recorded. Most of the meeting took place in a closed session.