Justice Department Looking to Fight Opioid Crisis

The Justice Department has a new focus in fighting the opioid crisis — manufacturers and distributors.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions  said Tuesday  that his department will review hundreds of lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors and will file a statement of interest in the case.

Sessions also announced the creation of a new task force aimed at fighting the prescription opioid crisis.

According to the Justice Department, the new  Prescription Interdiction and Litigation Task Force  "will aggressively deploy and coordinate all available criminal and civil law enforcement tools to reverse the tide of opioid overdoses in the United States."  The task force will also put pressure on opioid manufacturers to make sure they are marketing their products truthfully.