Albany, NY – Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan) released the following statement:

"The opioid overdose crisis has ravaged every community it has touched, and I am grateful for Attorney General Tish James’ bold move today to bring suit against opioid distributors who failed to meet their responsibilities under federal and state law to prevent opioid diversion.

For years, opioid manufacturers and distributors have gotten rich while our communities became dependent on drugs that the companies knew were dangerously addictive. Attorney General James’ lawsuit lays bare the fact that opioid distributors have failed to prevent known diversion.

People are dying at alarming rates, and this lawsuit, in addition to holding some of the responsible parties to account, will also help to generate revenue desperately needed to finance addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services statewide.

I look forward to working with Attorney General James and her staff to protect New Yorkers against the practices of unscrupulous opioid manufacturers and distributors."

Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal is the Chair of the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, and she represents the 67^th Assembly district, which includes the Upper West Side and Hell’s Kitchen neighborhoods in Manhattan.