A Conservative government would sue pharma companies over opioid crisis, Poilievre says – CBC

He would also join B.C.-led lawsuit against drug manufacturers and consultants

Mar 14, 2023

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Tuesday that a federal government led by him would sue the biggest pharmaceutical companies to recover federal dollars spent on the opioid crisis.

“The opioid epidemic has ravaged our communities, destroyed lives and devastated families. We must demand justice for the victims of addiction,” Poilievre said in a media statement.

The proposed lawsuit, he said, would look to recover federal health-care costs associated with the drug crisis, including “border security, courts, the criminal justice system, Indigenous programs, lost federal tax revenue and massively expanded treatment programs.”

At a press conference in New Westminster, B.C., Poilievre said a Conservative government would also join a B.C.-led class-action lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and their consultants.

The Conservative Party says the two lawsuits would claim $44 billion in federal dollars spent on health-care and in lost tax revenue. It says money recovered would go to treatment and recovery programs for those struggling with addiction.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pierre-poilievre-big-pharma-class-action-1.6778678