Syringes, pills and prescription bottles In more than 1,600 opioid lawsuits filed by U.S. citiesand counties, most claims are being made under racketeering andconspiracy statutes as well as nuisance laws. (Photo:Shutterstock)

Determining who foots the bill for America's growing opioid epidemic may depend on how well thestate of Oklahoma deploys a high-risk legal strategy this weekagainst Johnson & Johnson and Teva Pharmaceutical IndustriesLtd.

At least 42 states and more than 1,600 municipalities are suingmakers of the addictive painkillers, demanding billions of dollarsin damages and claiming illegal drug marketing created a costlypublic-health crisis. Oklahoma is the first to go to trial with acase relying on nuisance laws normally invoked for minor propertydisputes involving things such as loud noises or bright lights.

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