County News: Counties need to assess damage from opioids

“With the federal government announcing its intent to file a lawsuit against the producers and sellers of opioid-based painkillers, county officials may wonder why their hundreds of peers are filing their own suits, either in state or federal court. “Because we help the most. We provide the most services to those in need and the…

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County News: More fronts open in the war against opioids

“Counties are continuing to grapple with the widening scope of the opioid drug epidemic.

Another county has filed suit against a pharmaceutical company that marketed painkillers, while King County continues to search for locations for its safe injection sites. Meanwhile, a synthetic drug is raising the stakes for users and first responders.”

USA Today: Missouri Counties Do What State Won’t: Track Opioid Sales

“Fed up that Missouri is the only state that doesn’t track the prescription and sale of opioids, some of its biggest cities and counties have created their own monitoring system to help combat the increasingly popular and highly addictive drugs. Forty-nine states have established prescription drug monitoring programs, or PDMPs, which require pharmacies to report…

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King County and Seattle to open safe injection sites for opioids

The Community Health Engagement Locations (CHELs) will be more than an alternative to taking drugs in public without the risk of overdose. They’ll be staffed with medical and counseling personnel and will represent a public health-oriented approach to the epidemic, complementing the criminal justice side that cracks down on dealers and drug traffickers. The task…

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