At a press conference held in Robertsdale Jan. 10, County Commissioner Chris Elliott and Baldwin County Sheriff Hoss Mack highlighted the opioid drug issue in Baldwin County and further explained why the county was moving forward on a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors.
Mack said the county has seen a substantial rise in the number of prescription pills seized in drug searches across the county, as well as an increase in the use of other drugs like heroin, methamphetamines and fentanyl.
“We’re tracking about a 56 percent increase in the use of heroin,” Mack said. “Most people that become addicted to opioids end up transitioning to heroin. If they have been addicted to an opioid drug, they transition to heroin. If they can’t get heroin, they go to meth.”
Elliott said in 2017 alone, the county had seen 26 opioid related deaths.
Elliott said the opioid epidemic has and will likely continue to cost Baldwin County millions of dollars, including increased costs for dealing with drug-addicted inmates in the county’s jail.
“We’re booking thousands into our jail every year, and we’re starting to see a 10 to 15 percent range of inmates coming in that are having issues related to drugs,” Mack said. “We’re seeing those numbers coming in higher now.”
Mack said that the county does have to send some inmates to local hospitals to deal with potential overdose or withdrawal issues - which also causes cost increases for the county.
“On average, it’s not unusual for us to transfer to an emergency room and incur a $5,000 bill rather quickly,” Mack said.
Mack said this year his office would be assigning a narcotics officer to work nothing but prescription drug abuse cases, partnering with the DEA on several pending investigations.
Mack said he applauded the commission for taking legal action to try to help manage the opioid problem.
“We all have to work together,” Mack said. “This isn’t just a law enforcement problem. It transcends into a medical issue and a government issue because the county is having to foot the bill.”
Elliott said while the suit is primarily focused on manufacturers and distributors, any funds collected in the suit could go toward helping law enforcement investigate local physicians and dentists who might be overprescribing.
Elliott also noted anyone who had a legitimate use for opioid pain killers, like cancer patients or those with chronic pain issues, the lawsuit would not affect their relationship with their doctors.
Elliott said he was not aware if the suit had been filed yet, but said he expected it to be filed soon if it had not.
