A 90-day declaration that the opioid epidemic is a public health emergency is hollow without the promise of any new
federal dollars to combat the scourge, City Attorney Pete Holmes said today.
As President Donald Trump bemoaned the crisis in announcing the declaration, administration officials admitted it came
with no dedicated dollars – and the federal government’s Public Health Emergency Fund currently has $57,000.
Holmes, who is suing multiple opioid makers for their role in creating the epidemic, explains that City government
has had to redirect precious City resources. “Our first responders are dealing daily with overdoses instead of patrolling
our streets. Our transportation and parks departments are picking up needles and trash, instead of paving roads and landscaping,”
he said.
“As Benjamin Franklin said, ‘Well done is better than well said.’ The president’s words are basically worthless
if they aren’t delivered with dollars,” Holmes said.
Seattle’s suit was removed this week from state court to U.S. District Court by the defendants.
For more information, see http://www.seattle.gov/cityattorney/news/seattle-opioid-litigation and