As Painkiller Addiction and Overdoses Continue to Rise, Pharmaceutical Companies Are Sued for Inciting Epidemic
Narcotic painkillers are a driving force in the rise of substance abuse and lethal overdoses. In 2012, 259 million prescriptions for opioids and other narcotic painkillers were written in the US; 46 people die from opioid overdose each and every day. Chicago and two California counties—Orange and Santa Clara—have filed a lawsuit against five drug companies that manufacture OxyContin, charging them with contributing to an epidemic of drug abuse.