Quebec wants to prosecute around forty pharmaceutical companies for their contribution to the opioid crisis. Minister Lionel Carmant tabled a bill on Thursday to allow his government to join a collective action launched in this direction by British Columbia.
Bill 36 “on the recovery of the cost of health care and damages related to opioids” is inspired by a series of laws adopted in recent years by Canadian provinces and territories.
Once adopted, it will allow Quebec to participate in the class action initiated in 2018 by the British Columbia government to recover sums lost in the fight against the harmful effects of these products.
The National Institute of Public Health of Quebec has recorded more than 500 deaths linked to “suspected intoxication with opioids or other drugs” in 2022. In the first six months of 2023, it recorded more than 200.
Further details will follow.
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