Oklahoma Attorney General Sues Drug Makers

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter is suing more than a dozen manufacturers of opioid pain medication, alleging that deceptive marketing campaigns by the drugmakers have fueled Oklahoma's opioid epidemic.

The lawsuit filed Friday in Cleveland County District Court alleges the manufacturers deceived and manipulated Oklahomans into believing opioids were safe for use over an extended period.

Hunter says thousands of people have died and the state and citizens have spent millions of dollars on unnecessary opioid prescriptions. Hunter says that by 2009 the number of opioid-related deaths in Oklahoma was higher than the number of people killed in auto crashes.

News9's Aaron Brilbeck is following the story and will have a full report at 5 p.m.