First District Supervisor Das Williams is hoping Santa Barbara County will take on Big Pharma.
A growing number of government entities throughout the nation have sued pharmaceutical companies for overprescribing painkillers, accusing them of driving the nation’s opioid epidemic. The effort mimics one against Big Tobacco in the 1990s. Tobacco companies agreed to pay for anti-smoking campaigns and change advertising practices.
“Our [public service] costs are being created by pharmaceutical companies,” Williams said in an interview. “They are increasingly seen to have ill will in that they were pushing these drugs harder than appropriate.” Williams added that he has asked Behavior Wellness staffers if opioids are costing the county. “There is no question in their mind that it is.”