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From YouTube: Opioid Press Conference (November 14, 2017)
Description
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners is taking a bold step to combat the opioid crisis in our region becoming the first county in North Carolina to file a lawsuit to hold opioid manufacturers accountable.
A
Hey
good
afternoon,
we're
ready
to
get
started.
I
want
to
thank
everyone
for
coming
to
the
press
conference
this
afternoon
to
talk
about
a
very
important
and
serious
topic:
that's
affecting
Buncombe
County
and
affecting
communities
across
the
country.
Today,
Buncombe
County
has
filed
a
lawsuit
against
the
drug
manufacturers
and
wholesale
distributors
that
are
responsible
for
fueling,
the
opioid
epidemic
in
our
country
and
in
our
County.
We
are
filing
suit
against
the
drug
companies,
the
costs
they
have
pushed
highly
addictive
dangerous,
opioids,
falsely
representing
to
doctors
that
patients
would
only
rarely
succumb
to
drug
addiction.
A
We
are
filing
suit
against
the
wholesale
drug
distributors
because
they
have
refused
and
failed
to
fulfill
their
specific
legal
obligations
to
monitor,
identify
report
and
halt
suspicious
shipments
of
opioids.
The
prosecution
of
these
types
of
cases
may
involve
the
investment
of
millions
of
dollars
of
resources
for
expert
analysis
and
scientific
and
medical
data
that
the
county
does
not
have.
We
have
engaged
outside
counsel
and
they
have
agreed
to
pay
all
of
the
costs
associated
with
this
litigation.
A
A
In
the
last
few
years,
the
big
three
wholesale
distributors
have
paid
over
two
hundred
million
dollars
in
fines
for
the
same
conduct
covered
in
the
complaint.
In
the
meantime,
the
state
of
North
Carolina
in
Buncombe
County
are
struggling
with
the
toll.
Opioid
abuse
is
taking
on
our
communities
and
public
resources.
A
According
to
the
North
Carolina
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services
opioid
related
deaths
in
North
Carolina
have
increased
seventy
seventy
three
percent
between
2005
in
2015,
according
to
the
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention
over
eight
opioid
prescriptions
were
dispensed
for
every
10
residents
of
Buncombe
County
last
year,
nationwide
opioid
abuse
is
now
the
leading
cause
of
death
for
Americans,
50
years
of
age
and
young
and
younger.
In
addition
to
the
cost
in
human
life,
researchers
estimate
the
total
economic
burden
of
the
prescription
opioid
epidemic
at
seventy
eight
point:
five
billion
dollars.
A
I
would
now
like
to
ask
a
Mike
fuller,
who
is
representing
a
Baron
and
Budd
to
come
forward
on.
His
firm
will
be
representing
the
Buncombe
County
in
this
important
case
and
I'd
like
to
thank
him
for
being
with
us
today
in
representing
Buncombe
County,
and
to
share
a
few
words
about
the
action
that
we
are
taking
today.
B
As
a
chairman
mentioned,
my
name
is
Mike,
fuller
and
I
gotta,
say
it's
an
honor
and
a
privilege
to
be
here
representing
Blanco
County
in
this
endeavor
over
the
past
two
decades,
communities
have
been
ravaged
by
this
industry.
This
opioid
addiction.
In
the
same
amount
of
time,
the
death
toll
has
increased
10
times
in
Buncombe
County
alone.
B
We
want
to
also
recognize
the
commissioners
for
being
some
of
the
first
in
the
state.
Take
a
stand
on
this
issue:
the
file,
a
complaint
in
snows
who
are
responsible
for
dumping
pills
into
our
communities
to
make
know
people
about
it.
This
case
is
about
the
number
of
pills
have
been
distributed
and
dumped
into
bumpkin
County
as.
B
Of
North
Carolina
and
the
problem
is
and
what
we
hope
to
do
through
this
litigation.
It's
great
accountability,
transparency,
there's
parents
in
the
litigation
and
to
what's
going
on
in
our
communities,
because
until
recently
the
industry
has
had
the
benefit
of
this
opioid
distribution
being
in
a
closed
system
sealed
up
within
the
DEA
and
our
Coast
database.
We
have
one
thing
that.
C
E
C
A
Thank
you
Mike.
We
also
have
with
us
this
afternoon,
dr.
Bruce,
Fagan
and
dr.
Craig
Martin,
dr.
Bruce
Fagan
is
with
Mae
heck
and
dr.
Craig
Martin
is
would
via
health
and
I'd
like
to
invite
each
of
them
to
make
a
few
remarks
about
the
significance
of
this
problem
to
the
Buncombe
County
in
and
beyond,
dr.
Martin,
would
you
like
to
say
a
few
words
first,
thank
you
for
the
word.
G
Thank
you
very
much
for
allowing
me
to
be
here
with
our
important
partners.
We
know
what
we've
been
doing
for
the
chronic
opioid
crisis
is
not
working
and
there
has
to
be
a
change
and
to
have
social
services,
law
enforcement,
judicial,
all
of
our
partners
and
then
I'll
help
treatment
together
can
make
a
difference
and
can
turn
the
tide.
We
know
that
about
nine
and
a
half
percent
of
US
citizens
that
the
chronic
disease
called
diabeetus.
G
G
Some
of
you
know
that
via
health
is
the
local
management
entity
and
managed
care
organization
for
Medicaid
at
23
counties
in
Western
North
Carolina
over
the
past
year,
we've
distributed
over
2000
doses
of
narcan
narcan
is
a
medication
that
can
help
somebody
start
breathing
again
after
they've
stopped
breathing,
but
it's
usually
too
little
of
too
late
to
intervene.
At
that
point,
we
need
primary
prevention
in
the
schools.
We
need
more
work
and
we
clearly
need
to
stop
having
so
many
drugs
on
the
street.
G
H
Martin
appreciate
everybody
giving
me
an
opportunity
to
come
and
talk
to
you
all
again,
like
Martin,
said
I'm
glad
that
everybody
is
around
the
table
here
and
working
on
this.
One
of
the
things
that
we
were
told
as
physicians
back
in
the
early
to
mid
80s
was
that
these
medications
are
really
safe
at
less
than
1%
of
people
will
ever
be
addicted
and
that
we
should
start
we,
as
providers,
should
start
using
these
medications
for
chronic
non-cancer
pain
and
that's
just
absolutely
not
true.
H
Cdc
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention
in
Atlanta
put
out
some
data
in
March
of
2017.
That
showed
that
if
you
take
an
adult
in
the
United
States,
that's
opiate
naive.
That
means
they've
never
had
an
opiate
before
and
they
get
a
prescription
for
30
days,
a
legitimate
prescription
for
breaking
their
collarbone
breaking
their
arm
or
their
leg.
Something
like
that,
and
if
you
give
somebody
a
30-day
prescription,
they
have
a
35,
almost
40%
chance
of
still
being
on
opiate
a
year
later.
These
medicines
are
not
as
safe
as
they
said.
H
H
A
E
E
They
mr.
fuller,
very
kindly
said
that
the
commissioners
were
brave.
It's
not
us
as
brave
it's
the
recovering
folks
that
have
gone
through
every
obstacle
so
that
they
wouldn't
succeed.
Commissioner,
fryer
and
I
have
held
a
town
hall,
and
if
the
completion,
three
or
four
people
came
up
and
said,
thank
you
for
talking
about
this
as
a
disease.
E
The
babies
that
are
in
foster
care
the
paramedics
that
have
to
go
out
and
deal
with
things
that
typically,
they
would
never
have
to
encounter
so
I,
embrace
this
fight
and
it
is
going
to
be
a
fight,
but,
more
importantly,
I
embrace
our
citizen
two
or
have
become
victims
of
this
horrible
horrible
disease
and
I
hope
we
can
get
the
resources
to
help
all
of
you.
Thank
you.
C
Jasmine
Beecher
I
represent
district
1
here
in
Buncombe
County.
This
is
indeed
a
crisis
facing
our
community
and
with
today's
announcement
of
the
lawsuit
we
bring
a
fourth
prong
to
our
efforts
to
respond,
then
responding
with
prevention,
with
efforts
to
expand
treatment
options
and
on
the
enforcement
side
of
things,
and
this
lawsuit
is
about
the
accountability.
C
Prong
of
this
strategy,
I'm,
proud
and
honored
to
sin,
descriptive,
commissioners
and
expressing
full
support
for
this
lawsuit
and
beyond
that
I
hope
sending
a
message
to
community
members
across
Buncombe
County
that
if
you
need
help
it's
out
there,
addiction
is
a
disease.
Almost
every
family
I
know,
including
my
own,
hasn't
been
impacted
by
it
and
as
a
community,
we
need
to
make
sure
that
the
moment
someone's
ready
to
start
accessing
treatment
that
there's
a
pathway
for
them
to
do
that.
I
Ellen
wrap
we've
been
out
working
on
opioids,
we
we've
had
one
Town
Hall
we're
getting
ready
to
have
two
more
one's
gonna
be
Thursday
night
Boyd
reveal
it
was
heartbreaking
in
place,
but
it
was
educational.
In
other
words,
this
county
is
I'm
glad
we've
stepped
at
mr.
Ford,
and
if
this
needed
to
be
done,
Ellen's
right,
we
have
children
that
are
drug
addicts
already
that
are
having
to
go
to
fortune.
I
I
D
Thank
y'all
very
much
for
being
here.
This
is
very
important
and
I'm
proud
to
serve
with
these
other
six
commissioners
that
we
did
bring
this
forward
and
we
are
concerned
district
who
has
already
had
one
or
two
of
the
town
hall
meeting
myself
and
Commissioner
Belcher
will
be
starting
in
January
I.
Think
I've
set
enough
district
three
of
having
a
couple
of
the
town
hall
meeting
somewhere.
So
this
this
is
very
important
and
I
think
everyone's
touched
on
their
confirmed,
and
we
can
never
say
what
we
really
think
of
this
until
it
stopped.
F
I
mean
we
had
our
first
meeting
with
constituents
and
we
do
it
every
of
a
month
or
so
in
our
district,
when
at
the
end
we
with
the
West
End
bakery
in
West
a
show
at
the
end,
I
saw
a
lady
in
our
husband
standing
there,
and
you
know
you
can
see
people
that
he
wonders.
Something
is
not
quite
right.
Well,
when
I
went
over
to
speak
to
them
and
thank
him
for
coming
out.
F
F
The
pan
I
have
family
members,
I
have
friends
who
have
gone
through
a
lot
with
this,
and
we
can
not
that's
why
I
want
to
thank
our
partners,
the
law,
firm
and
everybody
who's
here
today,
as
we
announced
this
lawsuit
because
we
cannot
afford
in
Buncombe
County
or
in
the
country
anymore.
Did
you
stand
back
and
let
this
happen?
We've
got
to
speak
up
because
we
are
speaking
up
and
fighting
or
a
lot
of
people
will
just
given
up
if
given
up
hope,
because
they
feel
that
nobody
is
there.
They
help
them
with
this
disease.
F
I
I'm
Commissioner
Beltran
from
the
western
part
of
the
part
of
the
county
and
I
want
to
thank
everyone
for
stepping
up
and
making
this
part
of
our
battle.
This
is
just
one
of
the
strategies
that
the
county
commissioners
are
participating
in,
it
didn't
say
it
every
bring
home
every
family.
We
know
folks,
that's
been
affected
by
this
after
church
Sunday
I
left
and
went
to
another
church
to
a
Bob
for
dr.
pagan
spoke
our
community
and
presented
to
concerned
church
members,
the
devastating
of
ductile
opioids
I'm,
not
mistaken.
I
After
after
five
days,
there's
a
danger
of
a
person's
mind
being
altered,
putting
a
state
dependency
though
they
don't.
They
don't
even
know
it
in
that
short
period
of
time,
and
it's
time
that
we
knock
walls
down
between
government
businesses,
churches,
communities.
We
realize
that
this
is
affecting
everybody.
I
It's
affected
my
family.
It's
affected
my
church
when
he
one
year-old
girl.
We
had
a
funeral.
My
little
country
church
not
acceptable.
If
we
can
do
the
things
to
to
get
treatment
for
folks
get
them
off,
you
get
them
out
of
the
market.
One
of
the
one
of
the
things
that
has
to
happen
in
Buncombe
County
is
it
is
we've
got
to
drive
for
supply,
you've
got
to
stop
the
flow
of
Appeals
and
we
got
to
hold
people
accountable.
I
That's
what
we're
doing
today
interesting
one
of
the
attorneys
is
hearing
participating
in
a
lawsuit
and
they
shade
from
my
hometown
and
wealth,
West
Virginia,
where
the
devastation
as
of
the
West
Virginia,
is
hard
to
describe,
and
we
want
to
take
the
steps
to
prevent
that
acceleration
in
Buncombe
County.
This
is
a
good
first
step.
It's
not
just
first
half
there's
good
things
going
on,
but
I
do
want
to
commend
this
board.
I've
said
it
at
the
where
dr.
Fagan
spoke
in
the
last
year,
we've
accelerated
the
last
several
months.
I
The
urgency
within
the
board
has
accelerated.
There's
been
more
than
in
the
last
few
months
and
in
the
last
few
years,
not
a
municipal
I'm
grateful
for
all,
that's
in
the
room
and
all
of
our
partners
that
work
with
us
nothing.
You
know
faster
from
ABC
cm,
walk
in.
Thank
you
for
your
good
work
and
we'll
continue
to
lock
arms
and
do
what
we
can
in
this.
A
A
J
A
E
B
B
J
B
G
G
B
B
Sort
of
a
shameful
thing,
this
addiction
issue,
but
it's
brought
on
people
not
to
do
their
part
pushed
by
the
industry.
We
one
want
to
expose
it
for
what
it
is
and
to
get
the
county
resources
basically
evade
this
public
epidemic
that
they're
facing
the
cost
of
drug
addicted
babies
versus
no
over
$66,000
for
every
drug
addicted.
Maybe
that's
born
verses,
two
to
three
thousand
dollars
for
a
normal
birth,
so
there's
resources-
and
this
goes
back
to
what
my
dad
taught
me
growing
up.
B
B
B
K
B
We
think
they're
complicit
in
this
situation
and
what
we
found
is
that
recently,
the
DEA
is
also
holding
them
accountable
for
the
suspicious
order
distribution
based
on
a
kickback
scheme
where
they
were
passed.
The
distribution
information
from
the
wholesale
distributors,
giving
them
at
the
same
legal
obligation,
I.
K
B
L
B
Absolutely
and
that's
where,
if
sort
of
law
enforcement
and
treatment
lead
over
as
we're
going
to
deal
with
the
toll
on
the
court
system
or
the
abuse
and
neglect
cases,
the
foster
care
system,
social
services,
all
that's
going
to
be
taken
to
consideration.
So
what
we
look
to
do
is
a
holistic
approach
to
every
area
of
the
government,
that's
being
impacted
as
well
as
our
citizens
and
how
we
can
best
help
them
and
cure
this
epidemic.
B
E
M
That's
great
question:
looking
at
what
the
the
county
hopes
accomplished
and
looking
at
this
as
a
as
he
said,
our
main
focus
always
been
unfortunate.
Unfortunately,
we
were
looking
for
those
who
are
breaking
the
law,
but
we
were
hoping
that
we
can
use
this
to
also
look
at
other
alternatives,
seeking
rehabilitation
and
drug
counseling
and
treatment
instead
of
plugging
folks
into
the
court
system.
Finding
those
other
approaches
where
we
can
help
the
individuals
help
the
community
instead
of
just
making
it
a
an
incarceration
type
issue.
J
M
G
M
Know
the
we
talked
about
the
victims,
those
are
addicted
and
you
know
we
obviously
want
to
do
what
we
can
for
them.
But
there
are
other
victims
who
are
part
of
this
as
well.
You
have
the
families
that
are
impacted,
but
you
also
have
the
need
drives
things
such
as
crime
and
if
we
can
reduce
the
need
for
these
drugs
and
reduce
the
the
amount
of
drugs
that
are
there
and
obviously
it's
going
to
trickle
down
to
other
aspects.
B
J
J
J
L
Have
a
question
amazing:
if
maybe
one
for
somebody
one
of
the
commissioners,
possibly
there's
been
a
lot
of
talk
about
stemming
the
flow
of
drugs
into
community
and
how
that's
gonna
be
a
really
important
factor
in
all
this,
but
some
of
the
counties
surrounding
Buncombe.
Are
you
saying
huge
hurdles
as
well?
Western,
North
Carolina
in
general,
I'm
curious?
B
Because
you
still
know
know
that
they're
not
we
have
met
with
in
downtown
right
next
door.
We
also
represent
used
to
be
an
interior
Union's
east
of
here
that
with
Haywood
County
as
well
also
been
hired
by
and
over,
we
saw
the
other
lily
tomorrow's
people
to
leave
North
Carolina
Association
of
County
Commissioners.
For
that
additional
writing
honeybee
a
holistic
approach,
justice
fix
it
with
one
one
area.
Is
it
willing
to
do
the
job?
We've
also
met
with
the
Attorney
General
9,
and
know
that
he's
working
on
this
issue
too?
C
We
know
that
many
of
our
local
front
line
service
providers,
the
safety
net
providers,
are
seeing
people
from
across
the
region
whether
it's
for
prenatal
care
or
you
know,
babies
born
definition.
So
you
know
that's
another
one.
The
ripple
effects
in
terms
of
bunkum
based
service
providers
who
are
dealing
with
you
know
and
where
there's
a
coordination
in
place
between
local
providers
and.
L
B
E
The
education
part
of
this
that,
before
somebody
takes
this
prescription,
Bruno,
P
and
derivative
front,
it
gives
them
enough
pause
to
say
I.
Don't
want
that
and
may
have
has
done
an
extraordinary
job
with
educating
but
I.
Think
there'd
be
many
ripple
effects,
would've,
lawsuit
and
I.
Think
if
those
prescription,
writers
and
takers
can
pause
and
say
I.
I
A
B
B
When
you
first
wish
you
that
80%
of
heroin
users
first
use
prescription,
opioids,
so
you're
going
to
see
that
that
tie
change,
you're
going
to
see
the
switch
from
illegal
excuse
me,
legal
prescription,
drugs
to
the
illegal
narcotics
and
and
what
I've
explained
to
the
commissioners
that
we've
talked
about
the
fact
that
things
may
get
tougher
before
they
get
better
because
we
are
going
to
get
control
of
the
pills,
but
the
addicts.
Don't
that
just
go
away!
B
L
B
D
B
To
get
ahold
of
it
and
again,
it
all
goes
back
to
shedding
light
on
this
industry.
You
know
all
this
information
is
closed.
Within
this
and
the
distributors
of
computer
banks.
We
wanted
within
the
DEA
and
its
Arcos
database
and
through
history,
one
of
the
things
that's
helped
solve
this
problem.
This
isn't
the
first
time
that
opioids
has
been
an
issue.
We
go
back
thousands
of
years
to
the
opioid.
Wars
is
shining
a
light
on.
What's
going
on
letting
everybody
see
and
then
look,
the
law
enforcement
can
do
their
job.
I
Think
it's
also
important,
as
we
have
discussions
with
mission
health
as
we
get
discussions
with
the
doctors,
as
we
have
the
cameras
today,
we're
discussing
the
lawsuit
but
we're
discussing
discussing
opioids
and
the
problem
in
monmouth
county
and
our
intent
to
to
improve
their
problem
and
what
happens
with
folks
is
that
they're
there
their
mind
changes.
A
stop
act
is
good
law
of
state.
J
A
I
Treatment
for
them,
if
we
can,
if
we
can
slow
down
or
stop
the
flow
of
the
opioids,
we
can
reduce
the
number
of
opioids.
Then
you
reduce
the
addictions,
the
big
letter
addicted
and
you
reduce
the
supply,
the
people
that
were
addicted
on
up
your
words.
They
stepped
into
heroin
because
it
kind
of
cheaper
because
they
couldn't
get
the
peels.
Well,
you
can
stop
the
addiction
there
haridwar
to
the
opioids
that
you'll
dry
up
the
market
for
that
for
the
air
to
go
somewhere
else.
A
All
right
well
on
behalf
the
County
Commission.
Thank
you
all
for
being
here.
This
room's
fantastic
questions,
I
appreciate
how
our
local
media
has
taken
this
issue
really
seriously
and
and
again,
thank
thank
you
to
our
council
are
working
with
us
to
initiate
this
action
today
or
in
the
local
community
and
law
enforcement
community.