The counties of Delta and Chippewa, as well as the cities of Lansing and Escanaba, are also listed as plaintiffs in the suit. The legal action accuses the companies of engaging in the reckless sale of opioids and seeks to obtain funds to help address the crisis.
“It’s not that we want to profit from litigation, we want to stop it through litigation,” said Mark Hackel, Macomb County executive, according to Detroit Free Press. “Enough is enough.”
In 2016, Macomb County saw a 134 percent surge in opioid-related deaths from the year prior, bringing the death total over 200.
More articles on opiods:
Ohio’s capital files opioid lawsuit against 25 drug companies
Heroin vaccine blocks drug’s addictive effects in preclinical trials
Addressing a national crisis: 10 things to know about the presidential opioid commission’s recommendations
