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Florida Could Soon File Its Own Opioid Abuse Lawsuit

Florida Channel

Florida could soon be filing its own opioid abuse lawsuit against drug manufacturers. They’d be joining a long list of states, counties, and cities that have done the same.

Just last year, Governor Rick Scott declared Florida’s opioid crisis “a state of emergency,” due to increased overdose deaths. Lawsuits filed around the nation blame the epidemic on overprescribing and the over promoting of opioids. And, Attorney General Pam Bondi says when she files the lawsuit, her ultimate goal is to stop what she calls “bad behavior.”

“We are in the last round of interviewing outside counsel to assist us in the opioid litigation,” she said. “People have been asking whether we’re joining the multi-state [one]. I have been working with my counterparts across the country, but Florida is the third largest state in the country. We will be filing our lawsuit, just as we did in the BP Oil Spill because Florida deserves the maximum compensation for all the deaths that have happened in our state. We’re not going to be joining anyone else. We’re going to be doing our own lawsuit, just as we did in BP.”

Her comments come as U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams Thursday urged more Americans to carry naloxone, a drug that can help treat opioid overdoses.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.