Floyd County, Ky.–Over the past few months, 43 Kentucky counties have filed lawsuits against three prescription drug distributors for allegedly contributing to the state’s opioid addiction crisis by ignoring warning signs that their drugs were being misused. But in Floyd County, the Fiscal Court is going a step further.

Last month, the county filed suit against 19 drug manufacturers, 4 drug distributors and 4 individuals, alleging negligence, false advertising, fraud, unjust enrichment, and public nuisance. That lawsuit has now been bumped up to federal court. The complaint alleges the defendants ignored medical evidence in marketing opioid painkillers such as Oxycodone and Hydrocodone as safe for treatment of chronic pain lasting more than three months … Spending millions of dollars to sway public and medical opinion in the process.

As a result, Floyd County’s consumption of Hydrocodone nearly tripled over a five-year period, with at least 4 million doses prescribed in 2011 alone. The county is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in the action.