Gehrke: So Utah’s attorney general is going to sue an opioid pusher? It’s about time.

Since Sean Reyes took office as Utah’s attorney general in 2013 there have been well over 1,400 residents who have died from opioid-related overdoses.

Over the past year, Reyes has been prodded by the Legislature, preempted by one county after another, and has even been called out by House Speaker Greg Hughes to take a lead in protecting Utahns from this scourge.

Finally, his office decided to sue one opioid manufacturer — Purdue Pharma Inc. — a first step that comes far later than it should have.