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147021 RESOLUTION NO. 14,702 2 3 A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN THE 4 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND IN ARKANSAS; AND TO 5 ENGAGE IN LITIGATION AS A MEMBER OF THE MUNICIPAL 6 LEGAL DEFENSE PROGRAM AGAINST THOSE ENTITIES AND 7 PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SOCIETAL CRISIS; AND FOR 8 OTHER PURPOSES. 9 10 WHEREAS, our Nation and the State of Arkansas have suffered substantially by virtue of the 11 addiction and dependency on opioids, both legally prescribed and criminally secured; and, 12 WHEREAS, on October 26, 2017, the President of the United States of America declared the opioid 13 crisis to be a "public health emergency," and; 14 WHEREAS, Arkansas' hospitals and rehabilitation centers cannot keep pace with the flood of 15 victims; and, 16 WHEREAS, Arkansas has been ranked as the No. 2 state in the Nation in per capita prescriptions of 17 opioid medications in 2016; and, 18 WHEREAS, in 2013, the cost of prescription opioid dependence, abuse and overdose was $78.5 19 Billion Dollars for the nation as a whole: and, 20 WHEREAS, in 2015 an estimated 12.131 billion dosage units (pills) were prescribed nationally 21 equating to 97.36 pills per household; and, 22 WHEREAS, based upon the number of opioid prescription issued in 2016 it has been estimated that 23 every man, woman and child, regardless of age would have 37.5 pills in hand at any given time; and, 24 WHEREAS, drug overdose fatalities in 2016 across the nation numbered 64,000 people while traffic 25 fatalities for the same period number approximately, 40,200; and, 26 WHEREAS, municipal governments have born a substantial financial and societal burden fighting 27 this crisis and epidemic and will face abatement costs for this nuisance for many years to come; and, 28 WHEREAS, the City of Little Rock is a member of the Municipal Legal Defense Program (MLDP) 29 and seeks to make use of the legal services provided by the Program to hold those responsible for this 30 crisis to the highest letter of the law but which does not include individual physicians and hospitals; and, 31 WHEREAS, the MLDP, in concert with the other risk management pools in Arkansas, have 32 combined resources to bring litigation against those responsible on behalf of all counties, cities and towns 33 in the State. [Page 1 of 21 1 NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY 2 OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS: 3 Section 1. There is an acute need to address the opioid crisis in this State. 4 Section 2. Joining the efforts of other MLDP members to bring litigation against those responsible 5 for this and as advised by the MLDP, the City Manager, the Mayor and the City Attorney are hereby 6 authorized to execute any necessary paperwork to bring the City in to this litigation. I 7 Section 3. Severability. In the event any title, section, paragraph, item, sentence, clause, phrase, or 8 word of this resolution is declared or adjudged to be invalid or unconstitutional, such declaration or 9 adjudication shall not affect the remaining portions of the resolution which shall remain in full force and 10 effect as if the portion so declared or adjudged invalid or unconstitutional were not originally a part of the 11 resolution. 12 Section 4. Repealer. All laws, ordinances, resolutions, or parts of the same, that are inconsistent with 13 the provisions of this resolution, are hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency 14 ADOPTED- January 2, 2018 15 A APPROVED 16 17 18 usaj Lan , ity Clerk Mark Stodola, Mayor 19 APP D TO LEGAL FORM: 20 21 22 Thomas M. Carpenter, City Attorne 23 H 24 H 25 H 26 H 27 H 28 H 29 H 30 H 31 H 32 H 33 H 1 All facts and figures cited herein were provided by the office of the Arkansas Drug Director and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Page 2 of 21