Santa Fe County to file lawsuit against opioid makers

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico county is joining other government agencies in suing the manufacturers and distributors of opioids that lawmakers consider to be partially responsible for an opioid epidemic seen nationwide. Santa Fe County commissioners approved a resolution Tuesday that calls for the county to take legal action. The lawsuit would seek to recover damages from the makers of the addictive narcotic painkiller that has put a strain on county resources. According to the resolution, 178 people in Santa Fe County have died from drug overdose between 2012 and 2015. Mora County and state Attorney General Hector Balderas have already filed separate lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies and large opioid manufactures and distributors. More than 40 states have also filed similar suits.