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Lawsuits against big pharma aren’t enough. Consumers should also change drug habits. | Opinion

It’s great that Johnson & Johnson has to pay $572 million for its role in the opioid crisis. But for these legal settlements to make a difference, consumers must learn from them.

Judge Thad Balkman announces his decision in the Opioid Lawsuit In Norman, Okla., Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. Balkman found Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries helped fuel the state's opioid drug crisis and ordered the consumer products giant to pay $572 million to help abate the problem in the coming years.
Judge Thad Balkman announces his decision in the Opioid Lawsuit In Norman, Okla., Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. Balkman found Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries helped fuel the state's opioid drug crisis and ordered the consumer products giant to pay $572 million to help abate the problem in the coming years.Read moreSue Ogrocki / AP