In an unprecedented move, the state of Arkansas, all 75 counties and more than 360 cities have joined together to file a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against the opioid drug industry.
Hundreds of government officials and employees gathered on the steps of the Arkansas State Capitol during a news conference coordinated by the Stone Ward Public Relations Department to announce that the complaint had been filed.
The lawsuit seeks damages from more than 65 defendants. The money recovered would fund remediation of the opioid epidemic in Arkansas including Naloxone kits, the creation of mental-health and opioid-abuse-treatment clinics, and overdose response teams. The one-voice approach to this complaint is one that gives Arkansas a seat at the table. Neither the state or any county or city is big enough alone; this litigation approach ensures that recovered damages remain in Arkansas.
Since the news conference, the Stone Ward PR team has garnered more than 885 pieces of coverage on behalf of the litigation team, with more than 806 million potential impressions.
Arkansas families and communities have been ravaged by the opioid epidemic for years. The state now has more opioid prescriptions than people with 114.6 prescriptions written for every 100 persons. The national average is 66.5 prescriptions per 100 people.
We feel privileged to be a part of the team that’s determined to make a difference for Arkansas’s communities and future.
Watch the full news conference here.
