Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter's opened the state's case against consumer products giant Johnson & Johnson and several subsidiaries by saying the powerful painkillers have led to the "worst manmade public health crisis" in U.S. history. "This crisis is devastating Oklahoma," Hunter said, adding that opioid overdoses killed 4,653 people in the state from 2007 to 2017. Lawyers for Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson say the products the company manufactured were not just legal, but were heavily regulated. Janssen attorney Larry Ottaway told the judge that the drugs are important because they can help people manage debilitating pain. Oklahoma is suing under a public nuisance claim, alleging it will cost more than $13 billion over 20 to 30 years to abate the opioid crisis.

Source: ABC News May 28, 2019 14:54 UTC