B.C. government sues opioid manufacturers

By Tessa VikanderStarMetro Vancouver

Wed., Aug. 29, 2018

VANCOUVER—The provincial government has filed a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers.
In a joint announcement at the Supreme Court in Vancouver, Attorney General David Eby and Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy announced their plans to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable for the opioid addiction and overdose crisis.

B.C. is experiencing an opioid overdose crisis.  (Patrick Sison / The Associated Press File Photo)

In 2016, there were 2,861 opioid-related deaths in Canada. As of last June, another 1,460 deaths had been attributed to the drugs and the total number for 2017 was predicted to reach about 4,000, fuelled by a combination of over-prescribing by doctors and an influx of synthetic opioids, such as illicitly manufactured fentanyl and carfentanil.
Read more: Doctors release national guideline for treating opioid addictions