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Summit becomes the first county in Utah to sue opioid industry over addiction epidemic

As pharmaceutical companies dump tens of millions of dollars into the coffers of lawmakers throughout the country annually, the number of opioid prescriptions written has skyrocketed.

On that path to making billions of dollars, Big Pharma has left a trail of dead bodies — victims of accidental overdoses from the synthetic heroin.

In an effort to curb what has been labeled an epidemic in Utah, Summit County sued 25 companies and individuals it believes caused a flood of opioids in the county. Summit County became the first county in the state to do so, though others have talked about doing the same.