Sault Ste. Marie — A Sault Ste. Marie city councillor is urging his fellow councillors, to join a class-action lawsuit aimed at the manufacturers and distributors of opioids.
The $10-billion lawsuit was launched by the City of Grande Prairie, Alta., and has also garnered the support of Brantford in southern Ontario.
It seeks to recoup municipal costs associated with the opioid crisis and lists more than 40 companies, such as Johnson and Johnson and Shoppers Drug Mart.
"By all accounts, (the opioid crisis) was initiated by the pharmaceutical companies," said city councillor Corey Gardi. "Some of their partners manufactured and distributed some of these drugs irresponsibly, quite frankly."
Gardi said the number of opioid-related deaths is rising in Sault Ste. Marie and that the companies that helped to begin the crisis, should also aid in stopping it.
However, he said it's up to the city's legal team to decide what options would be best for the city to take.
"At any rate, I think we need to explicitly support this legal effort," Gardi said
Sault Ste. Marie City Council is hoping to revisit the question of joining the lawsuit in September.
