The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday, Nov. 28, edition that the B.C. Supreme Court should certify a class-action lawsuit against dozens of players in the opioid industry for their alleged role in fuelling Canada's overdose crisis to save time and money on what would otherwise be 13 nearly identical actions, says a lawyer for the B.C. government. The Globe's Andrea Wood writes that Reidar Mogerman told Justice Michael Brundrett on Monday that the court should approve a class made of governments saddled with health care costs related to a drug crisis that has killed or injured thousands of Canadians. The certification hearing is expected to last a month. If certified, the case would then move ahead as a civil trial. B.C. started the class action in 2018 with the goal of recovering public-health costs resulting from alleged wrongful conduct of opioid manufacturers, distributors and their consultants. The more than 40 defendants include manufacturers such as Purdue Pharma, retailers such as Loblaw's Shoppers Drug Mart and Metro's Jean Coutu Group, and distributors and wholesalers. Various defendants have sought to have proceedings deferred or dismissed on procedural grounds, but have had no luck thus far.