The Texas Attorney General filed suit in Travis County District Court on May 15, 2018 against Purdue Pharma L.P. et al based on its “aggressive” and “deceptive” marketing of OxyContin. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and injunctive relief to “stop the deceptive marketing of prescription opioid drugs and the misrepresentation of the risk of addiction, potential benefits, effectiveness, and potential side effects associated” with the use of opioids. See here for a copy of the lawsuit.
Texas was not alone; according to Reuters, the state attorneys general of Nevada, Florida, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Tennessee have also filed suit against Purdue for alleged violation of state consumer protection laws. The Travis County lawsuit cites many statistics concerning what the Texas AG calls “a serious national public health crisis” and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has labeled an “epidemic.” The Texas AG states that four of the “top 25 cities for opioid abuse” are in Texas and include Texarkana, Amarillo, Odessa and Longview. Additional FAQs on the “Opioid Crisis” by the Texas AG’s office can be viewed here: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/initiatives/opioid-abuse/.
