Utah is set to receive a significant financial influx from Kroger Co. as part of a sweeping settlement related to the company's alleged role in the opioid epidemic. On Monday, Attorney General Sean D. Reyes announced that Utah will be receiving $45 million for opioid abatement efforts, following an agreement with the national grocery chain, as reported by FOX 13. This settlement is the product of negotiations involving 30 state attorneys general.
In a collaborative legal effort, Kroger has reached a $1.37 billion settlement across 29 states, confirming Utah's share of these funds, the actual payments for which are slated to start in early 2025 according to ABC4. “This recovery, combined with others the Utah AG’s Office has helped lead across America, now exceeds $500 million in settlement funds,” Reyes stated. These resources are assigned to mitigate the ongoing addiction crisis, and Reyes hopes they will "help liberate many caught in the cycle of addiction and prevent another generation of Utahns from ever becoming dependent on opioids in the first place."
The lawsuit detailed that over seven years, Kroger distributed over 140 million dosage units of opioids, which comprised more than 15% of the entire statewide volume. These figures were outlined by the Utah Attorney General's office. The office also shed light on internal policies at Kroger, which, the state claimed, incentivized pharmacists through bonuses and other benefits to increase the sale of prescriptions, including controlled substances, as detailed by KSLTV.
In the legal confrontations leading to the settlement, the Utah AG's office claimed a series of "procedural victories" and planned to depose key national Kroger witnesses before the compromise was reached. Reyes's team's diligence has ostensibly contributed to a broader, and quicker, settlement beneficial to all involved states, the attorney general's office stated. The finality of the lawsuit is contingent upon the completion of the settlement terms, with Kroger expected to initiate payments in early 2025 according to KSLTV.
