Holding up the 118-page lawsuit, attorney Mike Moore says Hillsborough County is suing 14 pharmaceutical companies, blaming them for aggressively marketing the addictive painkillers.
Moore says there's no dollar figure attached to the lawsuit, but hopes any reward or settlement will be used to fight the growing crisis with more resources for law enforcement, the court system and even the medical examiner's office.
Hillsborough County leads the state in the number of drug-addicted babies. The county joins cities, counties and states around the nation that are holding drug companies responsible for the opioid addictions and deaths.
"Some of the individuals are at fault. The government's at fault. The FDA's at fault. A lot of people are at fault. But these people should step up and do what they're supposed to do," said Moore.