(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine issued the following statement on the front-page story in today’s New York Times by Barry Meier, entitled “Opioid’s Maker Hid Knowledge of Wide Abuse”:
“The front page story in today’s New York Times confirms that opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma knew of the addictive nature of OxyContin soon after the product hit the market in 1996 and did nothing to change its aggressive marketing that the product was less addictive and less prone to abuse. This information has come to light as 25 states have filed suit against the opioid manufacturers who fueled the nation’s drug crisis by duping doctors and flooding the market with these addictive drugs. I took legal action against the opioid manufacturers on behalf of the state of Ohio a year ago this week, and we are seeing significant progress as more and more state and local governments file suit. It is time that the opioid manufacturers own up to the mess that they have created.”