Smith County is the first county in Tennessee to file a federal lawsuit against major drug companies seeking to recoup funds expended responding the community's opioid crisis, according to a report from Nashville Public Radio.
In the lawsuit, Smith County claims to have expended hundreds of thousands of dollars responding to the opioid epidemic. The county is seeking reimbursement for money lost on law enforcement, healthcare and lost productivity among its residents.
"The opioid epidemic has created serious challenges for our county and our government," said Michael Nesbitt, mayor of Smith County, according to Nashville Public Radio. "Our goal is to hold the wrongdoers accountable and to recover taxpayer money that the opioid epidemic has consumed."
Other Tennessee counties and cities are poised to join the federal suit. Davidson County's metro council approved signing on to federal litigation on Tuesday. Earlier this year, three eastern Tennessee judicial districts filed a similar lawsuit in state court, according to the report.
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