(Bloomberg) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said he's heartened by a federal judge's push to kickstart settlement talks aimed at solving an opioid epidemic that is ravaging states across the U.S.
U.S. District Judge Daniel Polster in Cleveland is “dead serious'' about coming up with ways to address treatment and policing issues as part of a comprehensive settlement aimed at resolving more than 200 lawsuits stemming from the crisis, DeWine told reporters. “He's going at this very methodically.''
DeWine and attorneys general from five other states Wednesday briefed Polster on the problems painkiller addictions are causing state and local governments.
DeWine wouldn't say how much compensation he wants from pharmaceutical companies and distributors to address the crisis in his state, but noted a study from Ohio State University said opioids were costing the Buckeye State as much as $8 billion a year.
Opioid Crisis Point Man Is Cleveland Judge in Midst of Epidemic
To contact the reporter on this story: Jef Feeley in Cleveland, Ohio at jfeeley@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Joe Schneider, Paul Cox
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