Signal sent on opioids
At 3 p.m. Monday, eyes across the nation were focused on Oklahoma and people were talking about addiction. Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman held Johnson & Johnson and their subsidiaries accountable.
In our eyes, that was the goal of the state's lawsuit against a slew of opioid makers. It put a spotlight on the lives lost in Oklahoma, raised the level of awareness and held powerful drug companies accountable for their misleading actions.
The amount of money, though smaller than requested, is beside the point.
Just ask Craig and Gail Box, who lost their son, Austin, to addiction. As Austin's injuries were mounting from his football career, Johnson & Johnson as well as the other defendants were telling doctors their powerful drugs were not addictive. Doctors, always wanting to comfort their patients, believed the narrative and wrote scripts by the thousands.
Some bad actors in the medical field took it a step further and set up pill mills. The devastation began mounting and Oklahoma began to fight back. Under the guidance of Terri White, the Oklahoma
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services launched a counter attack to battle the epidemic. Task forces were formed to fight from all angles — law enforcement, state officials, district attorneys and the medical review board all joined in.
We stood shoulder to shoulder to help save lives. But addiction is a fierce opponent.
The black hole of addiction was opening across the state and our fellow Oklahomans, including young Austin Box, and thousands more were sliding in. The pull of addiction knows no bounds. It doesn't care about your level of education or your strong values. It doesn't care about your family life or how much money you have. Addiction's only goal is to rob you of all you have.
But on Monday, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter joined by fellow attorneys Reggie Whitten, Mike Burrage and Brad Beckworth stood up to addiction and one of its many accomplices. Johnson & Johnson was held accountable for its role.
Following the verdict, reporters and photojournalists crowded around Box's parents. Gail Box, while fighting to steady her voice said, “Nothing's going to bring my son back but this victory allows his death to stand for something and I know he's cheering right now. He was a team player and this is a victory for team Oklahoma.” Indeed, it is.
As expected, Johnson & Johnson has pledged to appeal. The company knows the line is long of states and cities queuing up to have their day in court.
Kudos to Hunter and his team of professionals for creating the record that will cast a long shadow in courtrooms across the country.