The Ohio Attorney General is suing five drug makers for their alleged role perpetrating the state's addictions epidemic.
Attorney General Mike DeWine accuses the companies of intentionally misleading patients about the dangers of painkillers and promoting benefits of the drugs not backed by science.
DeWine announced the complaint Wednesday as he accused the companies of creating a deadly mess in Ohio that they now need to pay to clean up.
A record 3,050 Ohioans died from drug overdoses in 2015, a figure expected to jump sharply once 2016 figures are tallied.
DeWine, a Republican expected to run for governor next year, joins other states that have filed similar lawsuits in the past.