>> 78% OF AMERICANS SAY IT IS A
SERIOUS PROBLEM IN THEIR STATE.
NOW, A HIGH-PROFILE CRUSADE IS
TAKING PLACE IN TENNESSEE, ON
BEHALF OF THE NUMBER OF BABIES BORN DEPENDENT ON OPIOIDS.BIES
BORN DEPENDENT ON OPIOIDS. HERES RONAN FARROW.
>> Reporter: THE FOOTAGE MAY BE
TOUGH TO WATCH.
BABY JADEN IS EXPERIENCING WITHDRAW.N IS EXPERIENCING
WITHDRAW. BORN DEPENDENT ON METH AND OTHER
DRUGS.
DRUGS.
>> MOST OF THE BABIES THAT
REQUIRE MORPHINE, WE CAN WEAN
THEM OFF IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
2 1/2 WEEKS.
HIS SYMPTOMS WERE SO SIGNIFICANT AND HE WASNT ABLE TO TOLERATEANT
AND HE WASNT ABLE TO TOLERATE US WEANING THE MORPHINE DOWN.
>> Reporter: HE IS 1 OF 351
BABIES BORN IN EAST TENNESSEE.
TODAY, HES FINALLY GOING HOME,
HAVING SPENT HIS WHOLE LIFE IN
INTENSIVE CARE.
INTENSIVE CARE. EXPERTS SAY NATIONALLY, THE
NUMBER OF BABIES BORN DEPENDENT
HAS QUADRUPLED OVER THE PAST 15
YEARS.
YEARS.
HERE IN APPALACHIA, EAST TENNESSEE, ITS GROUND ZERO OF
THOSE KIDS.
THOSE KIDS. >> ITS BEEN DRAMATIC.
TRAGIC.
TRAGIC. OVERWHELMING.
OVERWHELMING. >> Reporter: BARRY IS ONE OF
EIGHT DISTRICT ATTORNEYS IN
TENNESSEE REPRESENTING 24
DIFFERENT COUNTIES WHO FILED
SUIT AGAINST THE MANUFACTURERS,
ON BEHALF OF AN UNNAMED CHILD,
REPRESENTING THE THOUSANDS OF
BABIES BORN DEPENDENT IN
TENNESSEE.
TENNESSEE.
>> WHEN YOU SEE THE BABIES SCREEN. YOU SEE THE BABIES
SCREEN. YOU SEE THEM CLAW.
YOU SEE THEM SHAKE.
IT MAKES THE PROBLEM REAL.
IT
IT
ITS NOT AN ABSTRACT POLICY PROBLEM, NOT A LAWSUIT.ICY
PROBLEM, NOT A LAWSUIT.
A BABY THAT DIDNT HAVE A CHANCE.THAT DIDNT HAVE A
CHANCE.
>> Reporter: DOZENS OF CITIES, COUNTIES AND STATES HAVE BROUGHT
SIMILAR SUITS AGAINST THE
COMPANIES.
COMPANIES. SAYING THEY HAVE PUSHED DOCTORS
TO OVERPRESCRIBE PAINKILLERS,
DOWNPLAYED RISKS AND FUELING AN
EPIDEMIC.
EPIDEMIC.
>> THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
HAD A CHOICE OF HOW TO MARKET
THESE DRUGS.
THEY SAW THE CONSEQUENCES. AND THEY KEPT DOING IT AND KEPT
PROFITING OFF OF IT.
>> Reporter: TWO OF LIBBY
HARRIS GRANDDAUGHTERS SUFFERED
OPIOID ADDICTION.
OPIOID ADDICTION. >> ITS HARD TO EXPLAIN THAT
THIS IS A PRECIOUS BABY COMING
INTO THIS WORLD AND SHES GOING
TO HAVE SO MUCH TO OVERCOME,
JUST BEING BORN.
>> Reporter: SHE WORRIES ABOUT
THE POTENTIAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS
FOR HER GRANDDAUGHTER AND SO
MANY OTHERS LIKE HER HERE IN
TENNESSEE.
TENNESSEE.
HOW MUCH HAS THIS EPIDEMIC AFFECTED LOTS OF FAMILIES HERE?
>> ALMOST EVERY FAMILY.
>> Reporter: ALMOST EVERY
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
>> ALMOST EVERY FAMILY IN THIS COMMUNITY CAN SPEAK TO THE DRUG
ISSUE, EITHER WITH A FAMILY
MEMBER OR SOMEONE THEY KNOW
BEING AFFECTED.
BEING AFFECTED. ITS NOT EXAGGERATING TO SAY,
THERES GOING TO BE A GENERATION
OF ORPHANS.
OF ORPHANS. >> Reporter: IF YOU CAN DELIVER
A MESSAGE TO ANY OF THE BIG
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, WHAT
WOULD YOU SAY?
>> I WANT MY FAMILY BACK.
AND ILL NEVER GET IT THE WAY IT
WAS. >> Reporter: IN A STATEMENT TO
NBC NEWS, HE SAID IT DOES NOT
PROMOTE OPIOID PRODUCTS.
IT INTENDS TO FILE A MOTION TO
DISMISS THE TENNESSEE CASE.
TEVA SAYS THEY COMPLY CLOSELY
WITH ALL FEDERAL REGULATIONS.
ENDO SAID THEY DONT COMMENT AN
ONGOING LITIGATION.
ONGOING LITIGATION. BUT DID NOTE THAT SAFETY IS A
PRIORITY FOR THEM.
AND THEYRE BALANCING THE NEEDS
OF CHRONIC PAIN.
>> PURDUE SAID THEY CONTRIBUTE
SAFETY GUIDELINES AND WORK WITH
LAW ENFORCEMENT.
LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THEY DENY THE ALLEGATIONS.
PURDUE, WHICH MAKES OXYCONTIN,
PLED GUILTY IN 2007, TO CRIMINAL
MISBRANDING.
MISLEADING DOCTORS ABOUT THE
DRUGS ADDICTION. THREE EXECUTIVES WERE FOUND
GUILTY.
GUILTY.
THEYVE ALREADY ADMITTED FAULT, AT LEAST IN PART.MITTED FAULT,
AT LEAST IN PART. WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED?
>> I WANT THEM TO BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE IN MY COUNTY, WHERE
I LIVE, WHERE THIS DAMAGE IS
DONE.
DONE.
>> Reporter: HE AND A GROWING NUMBER OF OFFICIALS TAKINGING
NUMBER OF OFFICIALS TAKING PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES TO
COURT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, HOPING
THE SUITS WILL BE A NEW WEAPON,
ON WHAT THEY HAVE CALLED THE
WORST DRUG CRISIS IN AMERICAN
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
>> THERES GOING TO BE
ACCOUNTING, LEGALLY, THEY DID THIS AND HARMED THE COMMUNITY,
THEIR FAULT.
THEIR FAULT. >> Reporter: WHATS THE MESSAGE
TO THE DRUG COMPANIES?
>> WERE NOT GOING TO STOP.
>> Reporter: RONAN FARROW, NBC
NEWS.
NEWS.
>>> COMING UP TOMORROW, WELL