Attorney General DeWine Statement on New Opioid Litigation Filed in Numerous States

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine issued the following statement after the states of Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas each filed separate state litigation against opioid manufacturers, including Purdue Pharma:

I am delighted that what Ohio started almost a year ago has grown to 23 states, as well as Puerto Rico.  I made sure Ohio was out in front on this issue as the first major state to file such litigation. Opioid manufacturers should be held accountable for their direct roles in our country’s opioid epidemic and for deliberately misleading Americans about the dangers of prescription opioids. As I said when I announced my lawsuit, any chance at a settlement to provide immediate relief would require a large number of states following Ohio’s lead and filing litigation. With six more states having just filed, our coalition is growing and cannot be ignored by these drug companies.”