CTPF Trustees support action against companies which created and continue to perpetuate the nation’s opioid crisis
During their meeting on Thursday, May 17, 2018, the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund (CTPF) Board of Trustees (Board) unanimously passed a resolution supporting a lawsuit brought by local governments and Health & Welfare Funds against the pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and pharmacy benefit managers who have helped to create and perpetuate the nation’s opioid crisis. The action also demonstrates the Board’s support and obligation to continue to protect CTPF’s members in administering and contracting for the health insurance program that CTPF offers to its retirees.
The opioid crisis in the United States continues to escalate, with opioids killing more than 42,000 people in the United States in 2016, more than any year on record. On October 27, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognized the gravity of the crisis and declared a nationwide Public Health Emergency.i
Young adults are disproportionately impacted by addiction to prescription drugs, and in Illinois, educators, administrators, and school support personnel have been recognized as critical elements in the battle against addiction, and have been called upon to fight this epidemic in schools and communities.ii