ATLANTA _ Georgia's government is suing several opioid manufacturers and distributors for pushing their drugs while understating the dangers.
Attorney General Chris Carr filed the lawsuit Thursday, saying pharmaceutical companies should be held accountable.
The spread of opioids has led to overdoses, death and addiction throughout Georgia and the rest of the nation.
"No Georgia community is a stranger to the devastating effects of the opioid crisis," Carr said in a statement. "We are bringing this lawsuit quite simply to seek justice for the citizens of Georgia."
The lawsuit accuses drug companies of deceptive marketing practices that understated the addiction risks of opioids while overstating their benefits.
It says that opioid distributors, in their pursuit of profit, failed to flag suspicious orders, which resulted in the drugs being sold for illegitimate and non-medical purposes.
The defendants in the lawsuit include Purdue Pharma, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Par Pharmaceutical, Qualitest Pharmaceuticals, Watson Pharmaceuticals, Actavis Pharma, AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation; Cardinal Health, McKesson Corporation and J M Smith Corporation.
