Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last week joined a coalition of state attorneys general who are investigating opioid manufacturers' marketing and sales practices to determine whether the companies have broken any laws, according to The Texas Tribune.
Mr. Paxton and the other attorneys general are using a variety of legal maneuvers, such as issuing subpoenas to obtain documents and testimony, to assess whether opioid manufacturers have partaken in practices that have contributed to the nationwide opioid addiction epidemic, according to the report.
"This is a public safety and public health issue. Opioid painkiller abuse and related overdoses are devastating families here in Texas and throughout the country," Mr. Paxton said in a statement, according to the report. "The multistate investigation will help us determine the appropriate course of action we can take as attorneys general to address the opioid epidemic."
Mr. Paxton's spokesperson declined to offer more details on the investigation, such as how many other attorneys general are involved or if the group is targeting specific drugmakers.
Representatives from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the nation's largest pharmaceutical trade group, did not immediately respond to The Texas Tribune's request for a comment.