Several Indiana cities and counties are suing pharmaceutical companies and distributors in response to the opioid epidemic that’s gripped the state.  The cities of Muncie and Indianapolis were some of the first to announce their lawsuits.  Now, Indiana’s Allen County is joining forces with the city of Bloomington and Lake and Monroe counties on a similar action.  Indiana Public Broadcasting’s Zach Bernard reports.

The lawsuit aims to reimburse municipalities for financial losses from autopsies, emergency response, supplies of naloxone and other expenses to combat the state’s drug epidemic.

Allen County first district commissioner Nelson Peters says the board was initially going to avoid the lawsuit, but changed its mind after meeting with lawyers.

“There was a lot of alleged misrepresentation in terms of what distributors and manufacturers were telling the doctors with respect to the addictive parts of opioids.”

Peters says the onus should be on the drug companies, not taxpayers, to cover the expenses.

It’s not clear when the lawsuit will formally be filed.