On August 26, a judge in Oklahoma handed down verdict in favor of the state, which had sued opioid-maker Johnson & Johnson for its role in the opioid crisis. The medical device company, therefore, has to pay $572 million to the state of Oklahoma to help offset the cost of the epidemic.
In the first such ruling to hold a pharmaceutical company responsible for the opioid crisis, the judge found that the company had falsely and dangerously marketed the powerful drugs, a deception that led to addiction and death for too many people…
The rise of opioids undoubtedly has helped people ease severe pain. But for many people, the drugs fueled a dangerous addiction. Public health officials have been scrambling to tally the destruction, particularly as the death toll has risen in recent years. Scientists have been scrambling, too, trying to mitigate the harm and search for drug alternatives that can ease pain without opioids’ ill effects.
Find out more about the effects of opioids over at ScienceNews.
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