Cleveland-based Judge Dan Polster, overseer of about 800 opioid-related lawsuits in federal court, ruled July 26 that opioid distribution data cannot be made public, according to Las Vegas Now.
The decision for state and local governments to not publish federal government data of opioid distribution strikes a blow to news outlets and organizations seeking to report thoroughly on the nation's opioid overdose and addiction epidemic.
The Associated Press, The Washington Post and HD Media, owner of The Charleston Gazette-Mail of West Virginia, are just some examples of news organizations seeking distribution records. The newspapers told Las Vegas Now they are considering appealing the July 26 decision.
"We are disappointed, but we remain committed to fighting for records that shed light on the causes and costs of the opioid epidemic — records that the drug companies and federal government want to keep secret from the public," Gazette-Mail Executive Editor Greg Moore said in an email to Las Vegas Now on July 27.
The drug industry is asking judges to dismiss lawsuits filed against them, arguing local governments do not have legal standing to sue. They dispute causing the opioid epidemic, as their drugs require federal government approval and physician prescriptions.
Lead lawyer, Paul Farrell, overseeing 400-plus opioid lawsuits where local governments are suing over drugs, said the unpublishable data would show the public which pharmacies sold huge amounts of drugs.
Washington Post lawyer Karen Lefton told Las Vegas Now, "keeping the specifics secret does nothing to give victims' families faith that this deadly crisis is being adequately addressed."
Mr. Polster has since scheduled the first trials for March 2019.
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