Several Illinois counties sue drug companies over opioids

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) - Several counties in Illinois are suing drug companies and physicians over the consequences of excessive opioid use.

DuPage, Kane, Will, Lake and McHenry counties say Thursday that aggressive and fraudulent marketing of prescription opioid painkillers is causing a drug epidemic.

The complaints in Illinois State Court seek millions of dollars to reimburse county governments for the costs of responding to the crisis, including money spent dealing with drug-related crimes.

Similar lawsuits have been filed around the U.S. and companies being sued have said they're already taking steps to curb opioid abuse.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has said that opioids contributed to nearly 1,200 overdose deaths in Illinois in 2016.