Quebec's bill, introduced Thursday, would permit the province to sue opioid makers, wholesalers and consultants for health-care costs resulting from their alleged failure to warn the public of the risks associated with their drugs. The legislation also grants Quebec the ability to join lawsuits launched by other provinces.
The class-action lawsuit application, launched in 2018 by the British Columbia government on behalf of the federal government and the provinces and territories, alleges that drug makers misrepresented the risk of opioid addiction and failed to mention side effects and withdrawal symptoms. It seeks damages from drug makers, including Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers Squibb, as well as pharmacy companies, like Jean Coutu and Loblaw.
Frédéric Maheux, head of litigation at the Quebec attorney general's office, told the news conference that during the Purdue settlement process, Canada-wide damages from opioids were estimated at $85 billion. Quebec is the only province that has not yet adopted a law allowing it to join lawsuits launched by other governments in Canada, neither have Yukon or Nunavut.