November 14, 2017
Carr: Attorneys General Join to Restore DEA Authority, Hold Drug Manufacturers and Distributors Accountable for Opioid Oversupply
ATLANTA, GA –Attorney General Chris Carr today announced his support for a letter sent late yesterday by the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) to congressional leaders, urging them to repeal a 2016 federal law so registered drug manufacturers and distributors who have willfully contributed to the nation’s oversupply of opioids can be held accountable.
“At a time when our nation needs every available weapon at its disposal to combat the opioid epidemic, the ‘Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016’ has severely limited the Drug Enforcement Administration’s response to the crisis,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “State and territorial attorneys general have been fighting on multiple fronts, and we will continue to do all we can to help curtail this national public health crisis.”
The letter was signed by 44 attorneys general in the states, District of Columbia and Virgin Islands. The full list is as follows: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.