Niki Sharma, Attorney General, has released the following statement about the B.C. Court of Appeal decision confirming British Columbia’s class-action lawsuits can proceed against opioid manufacturers and distributors, and their consultants:

“Too many people in British Columbia have lost loved ones or continue to struggle because of the opioid crisis. That is why our government launched a class-action lawsuit against opioid manufacturers, distributors and their consultants.

“Time and again, we have taken on these companies in court on behalf of people in British Columbia. At every stage, we have won the fight to move this case forward.

“The B.C. Court of Appeal has dismissed the final appeals that were challenging these class-action lawsuits. With these decisions, the last barriers have been cleared, and the trial will proceed as scheduled in early 2028.

“In 2018, British Columbia took the unprecedented step of launching this lawsuit on behalf of governments across Canada, and we passed the Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act. Our goal was to recover the public health-care costs of treating opioid-related harms, and to hold opioid manufacturers, distributors and the consultants who advised them accountable for their alleged use of deceptive marketing to drive opioid sales, contributing to addiction and overdose.

“These decisions are two more wins in a long fight to hold these companies accountable for their part in a crisis that was declared a public-health emergency in 2016, and has devastated families in B.C. and across Canada.

“Our government remains committed to supporting people affected by this crisis and strengthening mental-health and addictions care, while continuing to advance this case through the courts.

“We will keep fighting for people in British Columbia and across Canada, because seeking justice for people harmed by this crisis is the right thing to do.”

Learn More:

• Read the minister’s previous statement on opioid litigation certification: 
  https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025AG0002-000037
• Learn how B.C. is building better mental-health and addictions care, from treatment to recovery:
  https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/mental-health-and-addictions/building-better-mental-health-and-addictions-care