WASHINGTON - The US Justice Department announced Tuesday that it will be filing a "statement of interest" in a multi-district action regarding hundreds of lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

The plaintiffs include numerous cities, municipalities and medical institutions that "have borne the costs of the prescription opioid crisis".

According to the Justice Department, the plaintiffs seek to recover the costs associated with providing treatment and public safety measures relating to the opioid epidemic from those who allegedly used false, deceptive, or unfair marketing practices for prescription opioid drugs.

"Opioid abuse is driving the deadliest drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement announcing the plan.

"It has strained our public health and law enforcement resources, and bankrupted countless families across this country," he added.

US President Donald Trump declared last October opioid abuse a national public health emergency, but he has been under criticism for not providing enough resources to address it.

Official figures show that opioid use killed nearly 64,000 people in the United States in 2016.