B.C. sues opioid makers for 'negligence and corruption'

[Justplain]

I had heard that the opioid crisis started with oxycontiln, and that the push was made by drug companies even though nonaddictive painkillers were just as effective. Now we have mainstream confirmation.


This case is 1st example of a province going after opioid makers for costs, expert says

Liam Britten - CBC News

B.C. Attorney General David Eby and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Judy Darcy announced a lawsuit against 40 drug companies Wednesday, Aug. 29. They accuse the wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers of being in part responsible for the ongoing opioid crisis faced by the province.

B.C. Attorney General David Eby spoke of the "terrible toll" opioid addiction has taken on many British Columbians and their families as he announced a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies to reclaim costs associated with the ongoing opioid crisis.

The suit, he said, was filed Wednesday morning against over 40 companies involved in the manufacture, distribution and wholesale of opioids.

The government alleges the companies downplayed the risks of their drugs when advertising them to physicians, especially when it comes to their addictive potential, thus contributing to the opioid crisis.

"No amount of money from this action can possibly make up for the loss of someone's child, someone's partner, or someone's friend," Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy said at the announcement on the steps of the Vancouver Law Courts.

"Today we are clearly saying that pharmaceutical companies must take responsibility for their role and put the lives of people before profit."

Drug company knew Oxycontin was addictive and lied about it, says plaintiff in class action suit
He said the suit would seek to recover only costs to the public health-care system such as addiction treatment, emergency response and hospital expenses caused by what he termed the companies' "negligence and corruption."

It was not clear how much the suit would seek to recover.

Eby said new legislation will be tabled in the fall to gather "population-based evidence" to prove the claim.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4803030

[shaberon]

This could be nicely followed by class action on behalf of the people who actually took the stuff.

Nice to see a cannabis-friendly area kicking the opioids, which I'm guessing is not going to happen any time soon in the areas where such things are made. I can't say the manufacturers are "in part" responsible, unless this means "completely".

Tolerate cannabis, quash the synthetics...sounds a little like the BC'ers still have the oxygen that mostly dried up everywhere else.

[Bob]

The opioids are also coming out of China, in bulk; some of the most dangerous ones where a micro-dose can lead to death, not just addiction. Stopping the flow from China is needed.

See this thread on PA

https://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...=1#post1066706

that thread discusses a major opioid problem of a synthetic killing people left and right who try it

[CurEus]

I think Fentanyl may be some form of nefarious activity.....we're finding enough to kill all of Canada in ONE shipment.!

[DeDukshyn]

Posted by CurEus (here)
I think Fentanyl may be some form of nefarious activity.....we're finding enough to kill all of Canada in ONE shipment.!

That was W-18 (far more potent than fentanyl). Ironically, this substance was invented in Alberta Canada ...

[conk]

Thank God for opiates. I took them daily for 2 years, until I discovered Kratom. Without the hydrocodone I would have been unable to work or function. Pain is very debilitating.

Kratom is a miracle of nature. It contains natural opiates that ease pain exactly like the pharmaceuticals. The drug companies detest it, of course.

But yes, the drugs are a huge problem. Members of my family have seen financial ruin, even death, affect their lives because of them. Don't know why anyone would be surprised to learn the purveyors knew of the risks. Opiates are just one of many poisons they make their living from.