by

Jeff Jellison 

Hamilton County Reporter

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 14 drug manufacturers and four distributors as defendants.

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.”

(Editor’s note:  The City of Fishers says there are no plans to join this lawsuit at this time.)