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4 <br /> <br />$400,000 to $500,000 for FY 2017-18. The first attachment indicates the ABC FY 2017-18 <br />appropriation. <br /> <br />b. Presentation on Opioids and Legal Issues <br />The Board received a presentation from attorneys representing some North Carolina <br />local governments, and some local governments across the country regarding litigation against <br />opioid manufacturers and distributors and provided direction to staff if appropriate. <br /> <br />Attorneys: <br />• Jake Daniel <br />• Amy Quezon (one of the national litigators with the McHugh Fuller Law Firm based <br />in Hattiesburg, Mississippi), <br />• Paul Coates (one of our lead local NC counsel attorneys with the firm Pinto, Coates, <br />Kyre, & Bowers, PLLC based in Greensboro, NC) <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: <br />There is a significant amount of information being disseminated to county commissioners, <br />managers, and attorneys on the topic of opioid litigation. The North Carolina Association of <br />County Commissioners (NCACC) Board of Directors was briefed on this issue and had a robust <br />discussion on the importance of ensuring that county interests are protected in any litigation or <br />potential settlements related to the opioid epidemic. As a result of that discussion, the NCACC <br />organized a November 15, 2017 forum to ensure that county attorneys had access to <br />information on the topic. Attorneys representing some North Carolina local governments and <br />other local governments across the United States will make a presentation on the litigation <br />against opioid manufacturers and distributors. <br /> <br />Jake Daniel introduced Amy Quezon. <br />Amy Quezon said the BOCC has been provided with a great deal of information in its <br />abstract. She reviewed current statistics relating to the sharp rise in opioid related problems. <br />She said Appalachia and the rural south have been most affected. She said the number of <br />opioids being pumped into various part of the country is suspicious, and clearly not all are <br />warranted. She said the majority of the blame has been placed on pharmaceutical <br />manufacturers and distributers, who failed to alert the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) about <br />suspicious opioid orders. She said the damage model is three-fold: provide age specific <br />education to children about the dangers of abusing opioids; law enforcement; and treatment for <br />addicts and infants, the youngest victims. She said there are five law firms working on this <br />across the nation, in partnership with each other, and all cases are worked on a contingency <br />basis. <br />Commissioner Price asked what the recovery will look like, as tobacco payouts were <br />underwhelming. <br />Amy Quezon said the tobacco litigation was handled by the states, and, in this case, the <br />damage model would be specific to Orange County. She said if there was a settlement, the <br />Board of County Commissioners would determine the best way to spend the monies. <br />Commissioner Price asked if it is known how the money would be distributed. <br />Amy Quezon said the damage model would not look at the specific individual, but rather <br />at the totality of the damages with EMS, Sherriff’s Department, Social Services, etc.; the <br />increase of overall service costs because of the opioid epidemic in a particular county. She <br />said they have heard from other counties that a treatment center could possibly be built and <br />shared among counties, as an example.