Opioid Manufacturers Could Be on the Hook for $32 Billion

Opioid Manufacturers Could Be , on the Hook for $32 Billion.

NPR reports some of the largest manufacturers of opioids in the United States could soon finalize financial payouts for victims to the tune of $32 billion.

The drug corporations are the same companies accused of "turbocharging" opioid use in America.

We've lost more than a million Americans to this epidemic, and sadly, it's at an all-time high as overdose deaths continue to rise.

, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, via statement.

Officials claim pharmaceutical companies are to blame for the opioid epidemic, saying the thirst to maximize profits was "at the root of the problem.".

Health experts say communities around the country have struggled for resources to fight the opioid crisis.

Health experts say communities around the country have struggled for resources to fight the opioid crisis.

And the problems have continually worsened.

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the most recent 12-month data set, 104,000 Americans' lives have been tragically cut short by a drug overdose.

Experts say the amount of drug overdoses is a tragic new record for the United States.

According to NPR, negotiations are underway with major drug distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson, and products manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.

Though the four corporations maintain they've done nothing wrong, they have all tentatively agreed to nearly $26 billion in restitution