Agenda - 02-06-2018 8-a - Minutes

Browse Search

M 1 respective governments, the County requested an additional funding of $150,000 for FY 2017- 2 18. The ABC Board approved an increase of $100,000 to the County's General Fund from 3 $400,000 to $500,000 for FY 2017 -18. The first attachment indicates the ABC FY 2017 -18 4 appropriation. 5 6 b. Presentation on Opioids and Legal Issues 7 The Board received a presentation from attorneys representing some North Carolina 8 local governments, and some local governments across the country regarding litigation against 9 opioid manufacturers and distributors and provided direction to staff if appropriate. 10 11 Attorneys: 12 • Jake Daniel 13 • Amy Quezon (one of the national litigators with the McHugh Fuller Law Firm based 14 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi), 15 • Paul Coates (one of our lead local NC counsel attorneys with the firm Pinto, Coates, 16 Kyre, & Bowers, PLLC based in Greensboro, NC) 17 18 BACKGROUND: 19 There is a significant amount of information being disseminated to county commissioners, 20 managers, and attorneys on the topic of opioid litigation. The North Carolina Association of 21 County Commissioners ( NCACC) Board of Directors was briefed on this issue and had a robust 22 discussion on the importance of ensuring that county interests are protected in any litigation or 23 potential settlements related to the opioid epidemic. As a result of that discussion, the NCACC 24 organized a November 15, 2017 forum to ensure that county attorneys had access to 25 information on the topic. Attorneys representing some North Carolina local governments and 26 other local governments across the United States will make a presentation on the litigation 27 against opioid manufacturers and distributors. 28 29 Jake Daniel introduced Amy Quezon. 30 Amy Quezon said the BOCC has been provided with a great deal of information in its 31 abstract. She reviewed current statistics relating to the sharp rise in opioid related problems. 32 She said Appalachia and the rural south have been most affected. She said the number of 33 opioids being pumped into various part of the country is suspicious, and clearly not all are 34 warranted. She said the majority of the blame has been placed on pharmaceutical 35 manufacturers and distributers, who failed to alert the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) about 36 suspicious opioid orders. She said the damage model is three -fold: provide age specific 37 education to children about the dangers of abusing opioids; law enforcement; and treatment for 38 addicts and infants, the youngest victims. She said there are five law firms working on this 39 across the nation, in partnership with each other, and all cases are worked on a contingency 40 basis. 41 Commissioner Price asked what the recovery will look like, as tobacco payouts were 42 underwhelming. 43 Amy Quezon said the tobacco litigation was handled by the states, and, in this case, the 44 damage model would be specific to Orange County. She said if there was a settlement, the 45 Board of County Commissioners would determine the best way to spend the monies. 46 Commissioner Price asked if it is known how the money would be distributed. 47 Amy Quezon said the damage model would not look at the specific individual, but rather 48 at the totality of the damages with EMS, Sherriff's Department, Social Services, etc.; the 49 increase of overall service costs because of the opioid epidemic in a particular county. She