May 07, 2021 - 2:52 PM
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The West Virginia fire chief who starred in an Oscar-nominated documentary about battling drug abuse in ground zero of the nationâs opioid epidemic took the stand in a landmark trial Friday against three large drug distributors.
Huntington Fire Chief Jan Rader testified to the growing number of overdoses first responders handled over the past decade, recounting how pill bottles were at the scenes of so many calls they responded to. Defence attorneys representing the companies declined to ask her questions, The Herald-Dispatch reported.
Rader s testimony concluded the first week of the trial in a case where Cabell County and the city of Huntington accuse drug distributors AmerisourceBergen Drug Co., Cardinal Health Inc. and McKesson Corp of fueling the U.S. opioid epidemic.
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US Federal Building in Charleston. F. Brian Ferguso
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If the first day of a landmark trial involving the nation’s three largest opioid distributors is any indication, a lot of fingers will be pointed elsewhere by those distributors in the coming weeks.
At the start of the trial on Monday in U.S. District Court in Charleston, lawyers for the three companies AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson blamed the opioid crisis on doctors who wrote too many prescriptions for highly addictive pain pills.
HUNTINGTON â As part of the Sound the Alarm campaign, American Red Cross volunteers are encouraging Huntington residents to learn fire safety.
On Saturday, volunteers with the Red Cross went door-to-door to leave placards about fire safety and smoke alarm installations.
The programs are part of the Red Crossâ campaign Sound the Alarm, which takes place from April 8 to May 8, said Roy Grimmett, who is a disaster program manager for the Tri-State Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Grimmett said residents can register by calling 304-340-3650 and selecting option No. 2 or online at www.soundthealarm.org/centralappalachia. After signing up, residents can get fire safety education from the Red Cross that is either virtual or socially distanced. Then, a firefighter will come to their home to install a smoke alarm.
Approved 2022 budget for Huntington described as conservative herald-dispatch.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from herald-dispatch.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.