The B.C. government has filed a lawsuit against dozens of legal opioid manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors in a bid to recover some of the health care costs associated with drug use.

The class-action lawsuit, which was filed in B.C. Supreme Court Wednesday, alleges the companies have contributed to the province's addiction crisis by deceiving doctors and patients alike about the risks opioids pose.

Attorney General David Eby described the civil suit, which targets more than 40 companies, as "an important step in relation to these serious allegations of corporate corruption and negligence."

"We have initiated a class action lawsuit against the different manufacturers and distributors of brand name and generic opioid medications in order to recover the public health care costs we allege were increased dramatically by their actions," Eby told reporters outside court.

Eby said opioid makers have known "full well" about the drugs' dangers, but downplayed them in pursuit of profits.

The resulting costs for addictions treatment and emergency care for overdose victims has tallied in the millions of dollars, according to the province's claim.

None of the allegations in the lawsuit have been proven in court.

It's unclear exactly how much the government will seek in damages, or how any money that’s potentially awarded would be used.

B.C. Addictions Minister Judy Darcy, who announced the lawsuit along with Eby, said the legal action is as much about holding drug manufacturers accountable as it is about recouping costs.

"Pharmaceutical companies must take responsibility for their role, and put the lives of people before profit," Darcy said.

"While today's action is about recovering the costs to our health care system, there is no price on the precious human lives that have been lost in the overdose crisis."

Elliot Eurchuk's parents know all too well how heavy that price can be.

Brock Eurchuk and Rachel Staples believe their son, who died in April, had been taking street drugs for pain and to help him sleep. Before that, the teen had been prescribed opioids following surgeries related to sports injuries.

"There's a hole that's never going to fill back in in our lives," Brock told CTV News Wednesday. "His life's gone and ours are forever changed and it didn't need to happen."

The grieving parents are hoping the lawsuit will mean other families are spared from the kind of loss and pain they've experienced.

"I would suggest it's overdue, but better now than never and I would like to see them pursue this very aggressively," Brock said.

"These drug companies known what these drugs are creating," Rachel alleged.

The province pointed to Purdue Pharma, which settled a class action lawsuit just last year over alleged deceptive marking and agreed to pay out $20 million, with $2 million going to provincial health care providers.

As part of the settlement, the company denied all the allegations against it and any wrongdoing.

Purdue, which is one of the companies named in B.C.'s lawsuit, told CTV News it is reviewing the government's claim, but that it "has always marketed its products in line with the Health Canada approved product monograph and in compliance with all relevant rules, regulations and codes."

"Additionally, as members of Innovative Medicines Canada, we also adhere to its Code of Ethical Practices," the company said in an email statement.

Though the province's lawsuit was applauded by some in the health care community, one group of doctors wants to see the Canadian government go even further.

Earlier this year, the doctors wrote a letter calling on the Attorney General of Canada to launch a criminal investigation into opioid marketing.

Dr. Nav Persaud, a physician from St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, noted that at least one company has already been convicted of illegal opioid marketing in the U.S., and said similar tactics have been used north of the border.

"It seems clear that there should be a criminal investigation in Canada," Persaud told CTV News on Wednesday. "And it's important to send a message."

With files from CTV Vancouver's Nafeesa Karim and Maria Weisgarber