Dozens of people converged in Victoria's Centennial Square for a vigil last night to mark International Overdose Awareness Day. Similar events took place in Nanaimo, Courtenay and Campbell River.
The provincial government marked the day by launching a proposed class-action lawsuit against dozens of drug companies, alleging they falsely marketed opioids as less addictive than other pain drugs and helped trigger a deadly opioid crisis. The lawsuit also targets pharmacies, including Loblaw and Shoppers Drug Mart, accusing them of distributing large quantities of opioids that they should've known exceeded the legitimate market.
BC Attorney General David Eby says money can never address the human toll of the opioid crisis, but it's his responsibility to take action when he believes corporations have acted to harm the people of B-C.
Loblaw and Shoppers didn't immediately respond to requests for comment, but drug company Janssen Pharmaceuticals says it acted responsibly in marketing opioids and the accusations in the lawsuit are baseless.