Attorney General Coleman announces $110 million opioid settlement with Kroger

COVINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has announced a settlement with The Kroger Company Thursday regarding alleged contributions to the Commonwealth’s opioid crisis.

Officials say the settlement has resulted in $110 million that will support initiatives to combat opioid issues in Kentucky.

The attorney general’s office says in February 2024, Coleman directed for a lawsuit to be filed in Bullitt County against Kroger.

The lawsuit alleges the company contributed the equivalent of 444 million doses of opioids to Kentucky over the period of 13 years “with no internal monitoring system to report suspected abuse,” officials say.

A release by Coleman’s office states that between 2006 and 2019, Kroger and over 100 of its pharmacies in Kentucky were “responsible for over 11% of opioid pills dispensed in Kentucky.”

“For over a decade, Kroger tragically fed the flames of the drug addiction fire that rages across every county of our Commonwealth. But this devastation isn’t the end of the story: Kentucky is resilient, and we get back up, no matter how many times we are knocked down,” Coleman said. “Today, with $110 million invested in recovery efforts in Kentucky, Kroger has agreed to be part of the solution.”

Coleman recognized deputy Attorney General Rob Duncan, civil chief Justin Clark and division chief for consumer and senior protection Chris Lewis for representing the Commonwealth.

“These settlement dollars will have a massive impact on Kentucky. I want to recognize the people who are the driving force behind bringing them here. Thank you for the late nights away from your families, long weekends and many months you’ve dedicated to this case. Our Commonwealth could not have asked for better representation,” Coleman said. “These are three people who are from areas of our Commonwealth particularly hard hit by the drug crisis; they care deeply about the issue and those affected.”

Officials say half of the settlement funds will be distributed among the Commonwealth’s cities and counties according to a pre-determined formula. The other half will be entrusted to the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission.