Attorney General Miyares brings $29M to Virginia to tackle the opioid crisis in a groundbreaking Kroger settlement
Richmond, Virginia – Working with a bipartisan coalition of 29 other state attorneys general, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has finalized a comprehensive $1.37 billion settlement with Kroger, one of the biggest food chains in the country in a major step to help with the continuing opioid crisis. Announced Monday, this settlement ends allegations that Kroger’s pharmacies contributed to the spread of opioid abuse across several states.
“This settlement provides the commonwealth with vital funds that will go towards preventing, reducing, and treating addiction in our communities,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. “I commend my Consumer Protection team for their diligent work in securing over $29 million for Virginia.”
With this agreement, Virginia stands to get up to $29.4 million, meant to support statewide opioid abatement projects. Early next year payments are scheduled to provide Virginia with vital tools to fight addiction, assist in rehabilitation, and fund preventative campaigns. The money comes at a turning point as communities across the state struggle with the effects of opioid addiction, a crisis that over the past two decades has destroyed countless lives and families.
The settlement indicates a rising tendency among governments toward making businesses accountable for their part in the opioid crisis. With more than 2,700 stores around the country under its own name and 123 outlets in Virginia under Harris Teeter, Kroger agreed to follow particular actions as part of the settlement. The grocery will now have to improve its control of opioid prescriptions through injunctive relief actions. These rules force Kroger pharmacies to closely track, document, and distribute information on suspected opioid prescription-related activity, therefore adding a layer of responsibility meant to help to reduce abuse of opiates.
This agreement makes clear that businesses, regardless of size, must take accountability for their activities and make sure they are not helping opioid addiction expand. These extra steps will help Kroger be more suited to assist prevent future damage.
This settlement is a component of a bigger initiative among several states aiming at corporate responsibility in the opioid crisis. Key negotiators in the process were Attorneys General from California, North Carolina, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, and Tennessee, pushing for a solution that would benefit impacted populations across the country. States would get money set out specifically for opioid abatement initiatives as part of the accord. With up to $122 million, California will see the biggest allocation; Colorado will get roughly $70 million; Tennessee will get up to $42.9 million. Around $40 million will be collected by North Carolina, Illinois, and Oregon, thereby supporting their own initiatives against addiction.
Representing over 11% of the entire settlement sum, the $1.37 billion total includes about $149 million set aside for addressing legal bills and related expenses. Although Kroger first revealed this large payment in its second quarter report from last year, the agreement’s financial impact severely affected the company’s earnings, thus misrepresenting those period’s results.
Kroger is hardly the only business now under legal hot fire for its involvement in the opioid problem. As states demand responsibility from businesses benefitting from opioid sales, pharmaceutical manufacturers, suppliers, and pharmacies have come under legal heat. States contend in these lawsuits that the aggressive marketing and poor monitoring of opioids helped to explain the rising rates of addiction that have decimated entire towns.
Read also: City of Roanoke opens nominations for 2024 Citizen of the Year Award
The objective is clear for Attorney General Miyares and other attorneys general spearheading the effort: to use the funds to develop long-term solutions and recovery programs impacting families and individuals affected by opioid addiction.
The expected $29.4 million from the Kroger settlement will help Virginian initiatives aimed at treatment for opioid addiction, rehabilitation, and prevention. To deal with the underlying causes of addiction, local agencies will probably allocate money toward treatment facilities, educational campaigns, and other support systems. Part of Virginia’s larger opioid abatement plan, funding distribution helps to repair lives and lower the negative effects of addiction throughout the commonwealth.
Virginia joins a nationwide trend for corporate responsibility in face of public health issues. The Kroger settlement is the most recent of several agreements between governments and businesses engaged in the opioid supply chain. Every settlement is a step toward reconstructing societies ripped apart by addiction as governments aim to significantly alter the fight against opioids.
The resolution with Kroger emphasizes even more the need of bipartisan cooperation in tackling the drug crisis. Despite political differences in the nation, the opioid crisis has demonstrated how public health issues may bind leaders from both sides. Working together, these attorneys general accomplished a historic deal that will help many areas suffering with addiction.
Read also: Virginia Lottery’s Cash Fever game pays out first $500,000 prize to Arlington resident
Virginia and the other participating states are confident this agreement will help to significantly lower opioid usage and its terrible effects through stronger monitoring rules and an influx of resources for addiction support. The Kroger settlement reflects yet another chapter in the continuous journey toward a society that supports corporate accountability and makes investments in the well and health of its citizens.
You can read the settlement between Kroger and the Commonwealth of Virginia here.
