Illinois To Get $40 Million From Kroger To Combat Opioid Crisis

CHICAGO — Grocery giant Kroger has agreed to pay the state of Illinois more than $40 million as part of a sweeping settlement aimed at tackling the opioid epidemic that has ravaged communities across the United States.

As part of a $1.37 billion nationwide deal, the money is expected to provide critical support to Illinois residents by funding recovery services at the municipal, county and state level.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul negotiated on behalf of the state to secure the funds, which will be distributed according to the Illinois Opioid Allocation Agreement established by Raoul in 2021 to ensure equitable distribution among local governments affected by the crisis.

"This settlement ensures Kroger is held accountable and allows resources to reach communities hardest hit by this ongoing opioid crisis that continues to affect all corners of America," Raoul said.

Kroger operates several subsidiaries in Illinois, including Kroger-branded stores, Mariano’s, Food 4 Less and Ruler Foods, encompassing a wide footprint in communities affected by the opioid epidemic.

"I am proud of the bipartisan work attorneys general continue to do to hold the companies accountable for fueling the opioid epidemic, and I am committed to ensuring that funding is distributed equitably throughout the state to help fund services needed to mitigate the opioid addiction crisis," the attorney general added.

Illinois’s allocation will be directed to the Illinois Remediation Fund, established to finance programs aimed at opioid crisis abatement, ranging from prevention to treatment and recovery services across the state.

The fund, which is advised by a board under the Opioid Overdose Prevention and Recovery Steering Committee, prioritizes allocation of settlement money based on factors like population, opioid usage rates and overdose deaths, according to the attorney general's office.

Nationwide, the settlement includes participation from 34 states and several Native American tribes. Raoul's office said he led negotiations with the attorneys general of California, Colorado, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee and Virginia.

In addition to the monetary settlement, Kroger is required to implement injunctive relief measures to monitor, report and share data regarding suspicious opioid prescription activity at its pharmacies. This is aimed at improving oversight to prevent more misuse of prescription opioids.

The agreement marks the latest step in the attorney general's ongoing effort to combat the opioid crisis in Illinois, with the state having already secured over $1.3 billion through a series of settlements with pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies involved in the opioid crisis.

With more than 93,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2020, the crisis originated through the aggressive marketing and distribution of prescription opioids beginning in the 1990s.

Since then, multiple waves of opioid misuse, including surges in heroin and synthetic opioids like fentanyl, have led to heightened overdose rates and strained public health resources across the United States.