The Government of Saskatchewan is tabling legislation that would help it recover some of the health care costs of the opioid crisis. “Opioid addiction has had a devastating impact on individuals, families and communities across Saskatchewan,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr said in a news release Thursday. Crucially, the Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act would open the door for Saskatchewan to participate in a nationwide class action lawsuit against multiple manufacturers of the highly addictive opioid drugs. The amendments align the province with other jurisdictions that have already passed legislation to recoup some of the costs of opioid-related harm, including Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon. But it’s B.C. leading the charge. It passed the groundbreaking Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act in 2018, first opening the door for governments to sue the manufacturers of opioid drugs. Its proposed class action against the makers of synthetic opioids, which claims they were negligent and unjustly enriched by deceptively marketing their drugs as safer alternatives to the classic opiate medications, has passed multiple hurdles in the courts. Several companies argued the B.C. law violated the Constitution by overstepping provincial authority. B.C. courts declared the law valid, prompting the companies to take their case to the Supreme Court. In November 2024, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the law was constitutional, officially clearing the path for other governments to join in. On Thursday, the Government of Saskatchewan signaled it would do just that. “These amendments support a coordinated national approach to recovering health care costs while ensuring Saskatchewan remains aligned with other jurisdictions participating in opioid litigation,” said Carr. -With files from the Canadian Press
