FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
March 19, 2018
For More Information, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Steve Marshall
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 1
Alabama Attorney General
ATTORNEY GENERAL STEVE MARSHALL APPLAUDS
PRESIDENT TRUMPíS INITIATIVE TO STOP OPIOID ABUSE
(MONTGOMERY) — Attorney General Steve Marshall issued the following statement today
praising President Donald Trump for introducing his Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and
Reduce Drug Supply and Demand:
ìI want to thank President Trump for his dedication to fight the terrible blight of opioid abuse
in America. Opioid abuse is an epidemic that ignores cultural and political boundaries; it
affects all of usóand thus demands a response that includes all of us.
ìWhile I am still reviewing the specifics of President Trumpís initiative, I am heartened to see
that his outline includes many of the recommendations of Alabamaís Opioid Overdose and
Addiction Council; recommendations such as improved prescription monitoring, increased
access to treatment and recovery support for persons suffering from opioid addiction, and
legislation targeting low-dosage, super-lethal drugs like fentanyl.
ìMy hope is that, in the coming months, President Trump and Attorney General Sessions will
work side-by-side with state and local officials to turn these ideas into reality. Together, we can
conquer what the President has rightly called the ëCrisis Next Door.íî
On August 8, 2017, Governor Kay Ivey named Attorney General Marshall co-chair of the
Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council, a Council that the Governor established to
ìdevelop and submit a strategic action plan to the Governor by December 31, 2017, that
establishes recommendations for policy, regulatory and legislative actions to address the
overdose crisis in Alabama.î That Council issued its 74-page Action Plan on December 31,
2017.
On February 6, 2018, Attorney General Marshall filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma L.P., a
major manufacturer and seller of prescription opioid pain medications. Alabama ranks first in
the nation for the number of painkiller prescriptions per capita. The Stateís lawsuit alleges that
Purdue deceptively marketed their opiates to physicians and consumers, thereby causing
over-prescriptions that have resulted in addictions and deaths throughout Alabama. AG
Marshall and his litigation team are presently engaged in court-ordered settlement conferences
with Purdue and other opioid manufacturers and distributors.
Link to President Trumpís Opioid Initiative
Link to Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addition Councilís Action Plan
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501 Washington Avenue ? Montgomery, AL 36104 ? (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us
