KANSAS CITY — Wyandotte County has become the latest municipality to sue opioid makers and distributors, alleging that they “pushed highly addictive, dangerous” drugs.
The Kansas City Star reports that the county filed the lawsuit Tuesday in federal court against 14 industry giants and their affiliates. It accused them of getting rich by hooking people on pain meds while costing citizens large amounts of money in health care and law enforcement to deal with addiction, diversion and overdoses.
More than 1,000 similar suits have been filed by cities and counties across the country. They’re being gathered in a federal court in Cleveland. A judge there has urged the parties involved to reach a master settlement similar to one forged between states and tobacco companies in 1998.
Trials are scheduled to start next year.
