Stoughton May Join Lawsuit Against Opioid Makers, Distributors

STOUGHTON, MA — Stoughton could join a lawsuit aimed at manufacturers and distributors of opioids for promoting the use of opioids above the therapeutic need and triggering a crisis.

Stephanie Patton, the town’s prevention coordinator, told the selectmen last week that about 90 Massachusetts communities have signed on to the lawsuit, spearheaded by a consortium of law firms known as the Massachusetts Opioid Litigation Attorneys (MOLA).

If successful, the town could receive relief for funds spent on the opioid crisis, including Narcan and public safety training. The attorneys are working on contingency, meaning that they only get paid if the lawsuit is successful or results in a settlement, in which case they would be entitled to 25 percent of the settlement and up to 10 percent in expenses.

“If it’s no cost to the town, I see no harm in entering this to recoup the cost of everything associated with this crisis,” Stoughton Deputy Police Chief Brian Holmes said.

Locally, the opioid crisis has taken a bit of a downswing, according to Patton. Young people in Stoughton are staying away from opioid, while adult use rates continue to struggle. Total overdoses saw a decrease in 2017, but the overdoses that are happening are more severe due to drugs like fentanyl.

Compared to the state, Stoughton has a lower overdose rate, but a higher death rate.

“It’s a problem that Stoughton faces and it’s a fatal one. A lot of what we’ll recoup are financial costs, but the loss of our families is something that’s not tangible, and we’ll never recoup. This kind of litigation, I’m enthusiastic that we’re taking these steps,” Selectman Stephen Cavey said.

To determine the cost of the crisis, Patton said there is a rubric from MOLA they can follow.

Selectmen Chairman Bob O’Reagan said the board would make a decision about joining the lawsuit in June.

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