Utah’s opioid litigation began as a response to the overdoses and deaths that have pained our communities across the state. Families struggled with addiction, emergency services were stretched thin, and local governments absorbed escalating costs tied to treatment, law enforcement, and child welfare. Utah’s legal action was grounded in a simple principle: those who helped create a public health crisis must be held accountable and help abate future harm. 

The Office of the Attorney General, working in coordination with the Utah Department of Commerce’s Division of Consumer Protection and under the leadership of Governor Spencer Cox, has filed lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and marketers.  

As evidence mounted nationwide, Utah joined multistate efforts to confront opioid manufacturers and their owners, including Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family. The litigation has shown that Utah’s local harms were connected to a broader pattern of deceptive marketing, oversupply, and a disregard for addiction risks that fueled widespread opioid dependence, diversion, and abuse. 

The cases expanded over time to include manufacturers, distributors, pharmacy chains, marketing consultants, and pharmacy benefit managers, reflecting the full scope of the opioid supply chain.  

Landmark national settlements ultimately brought billions of dollars in relief. Utah’s share—distributed over many years—represented both accountability and a long-term commitment to stopping and abating the damage caused by opioids across the state. 

Together, these cases mark a shift in how Utah confronts complex public health crises through the legal system. The timeline that follows traces the state’s path from early litigation to historic settlements—and the lasting impact of those efforts on Utah communities.