Candidate wants tax on opioid distributors
Opioid distributors would pay a five-cent surcharge per dose under a proposal by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley.
In 2016, the state Board of Pharmacy reported that 631 million doses of opioids were distributed across the state, meaning Whaley’s plan would collect nearly $32 million per year.
“We know who’s responsible for the heroin crisis and in a Whaley administration, opioid manufacturers will pay to clean up the mess they’ve created in our state,” said Whaley, the mayor of Dayton, where city officials decided this summer to sue five drug companies, three distributors and four physicians.
“With the dollars we’ll collect with the nickel per dose surcharge, we can begin to restore vital public safety services to the communities on the front lines fighting this epidemic.”
Dayton filed its lawsuit after Attorney General Mike DeWine decided to sue the pharmaceutical companies but not the drug distributors.
Under Whaley’s proposal, $12 million would go toward public safety services, and $12 million would go for drug abuse stabilization centers and treatment facilities. Another $3 million would be used for stabilization centers at state psychiatric hospitals.
“We can’t sit around and wait on the feds — giving us lip service and not taking action,” said Whaley.
“While the drug companies set into motion this epidemic overnight, families, employers and communities will be dealing with the consequences for a generation,” Whaley said, calling the plan a “sustainable funding source to start repairing the damage across Ohio.”
In addition to Whaley, Democratic state Sen. Joe Schiavoni, former state Rep. Connie Pillich and former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton also are seeking the party nomination for governor.