The City of Lethbridge is joining an opioid class action lawsuit being lead by the City of Grande Prairie. Lethbridge city council voted to give its support Monday afternoon.
Councillors passed a resolution stating municipalities across Canada are contending with the social consequences of the opioid crisis and the impact and cost to the City of Lethbridge with opioid addiction has been significant. The class action aims to recover costs from pharmaceutical companies which manufacture the highly-addictive drugs.
“This is encouraging and exciting news for Alberta,” says Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman. “We are pleased that steps are being taken to address the financial impact of this crisis on communities. We are looking forward to learning more in the coming weeks and months as this lawsuit moves forward, and how Lethbridge can participate. The City of Lethbridge is fully committed to continuing efforts in combatting the opioid crisis.”
Councillors were told a lawsuit like this could take years to make it through the courts. They agreed to participate on a contingency fee basis, which protects it from any costs, and to explore the possibility of becoming a representative plaintiff in the litigation.