HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – Huntsville City Council on Thursday authorized the city to join the list of local governments that will participate in an opioid lawsuit against three retail pharmacy chains. 

The lawsuit claims CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart pharmacies did little to stop the flood of pills that led to hundreds of overdose deaths. 

Huntsville now joins several cities in North Alabama in being added to a lawsuit settlement. A multi-million-dollar settlement was reached between Walmart and 300 Alabama towns. 

In November, the three big chains each said they would pay about $5 billion total to resolve a host of lawsuits. This comes after years of litigation over the drug industry’s role in an overdose crisis that has been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the United States over the past two decades.  

The lawsuit was originally filed by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall in 2021. 

City Council President John Meredith announced that council member Devyn Keith will be removed from leading the finance committee, and Keith’s request to go on the scheduled trip to Washington D.C. on March 25 has been disapproved by the council.