Walgreens (WBA) has found itself embroiled in a lawsuit with the state of Michigan over the sale of addictive opioid drugs. Michigan filed the suit on Tuesday against the drugstore retailer and other drug companies for their role in the opioid epidemic.

Walgreens, along with McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc., and AmerisourceBergen Corporation, are involved in the suit, which claims they saturated the market with opioid drugs and sold the pain pills without oversight, allowing them to be used for illegal purposes.

In the state’s lawsuit, damages are being sought for law enforcement costs and prosecution linked to the opioid epidemic. Michigan is also seeking damages for health care costs, early childhood education costs, costs for children that were born addicted to opioids, drug treatment costs, and other losses related to illegal drug use.

“These companies knowingly and deliberately used their licenses to distribute drugs in our state without controls,” said Dana Nessel, attorney general for the state of Michigan. “This was not only negligent; it was unlawful, a public nuisance and, as a result, their actions subject these companies to liability under Michigan’s Drug Dealer Liability Act.”

This is one of the first times that a state has filed a lawsuit against a drug company. Michigan filed the suit under its Drug Dealer Liability Act, which allows it to recover civil damages against those that illegally market controlled substances such as prescription pain killers.

The state has seen its opioid deaths make up five and one-half of its deaths a day, according to Detroit Free Press. The state estimates that more than 1.1 million pills came across its borders every day from 2006 to 2012, according to the Washington Post, as cited by Michigan in a statement.

“In 2018, we lost more than 2,000 Michiganders to opioid overdoses; that’s more than five people each day,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health for Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

“The actions being taken by the Attorney General today will help ensure that those who contributed to the crisis bear responsibility and bring desperately needed resources into the state to save the lives of those caught in the crisis today.”

Shares of Walgreens stock were down 0.04% as of 2:12 p.m. EST on Wednesday.

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