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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah will receive around $45 million for opioid abatement as part of a settlement with Kroger.
Along with 30 state attorneys general, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes announced on Monday a $1.37 billion settlement with Kroger, a giant national grocery chain that owns and operates the Smith's and Smith's Marketplace stores in Utah. The settlement comes after Reyes filed a lawsuit in state court alleging Kroger was the largest buyer and dispenser of opioids in Utah from 2006 to 2014.
The state said in that time, Kroger bought and gave out more than 140 million dosage units of oxycodone and hydrocodone. The release announcing the settlement gave Price in eastern Utah as an example — a city with around 8,000 people. A store there bought enough oxycodone and hydrocodone over seven years, the state said, to give each person in the community 71 pills.
In the suit, the state also claimed Kroger had policies which gave bonuses to pharmacists for how quickly and how many prescriptions were filled, including for controlled substances.
"This recovery, combined with others the Utah AG's Office has helped lead across America, now exceeds $500 million in settlement funds," said Reyes. "These dollars 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."
Reyes said he was proud the team was able to lead "with bold litigation to benefit all of America but most importantly to protect so many Utah families affected by this tragic crisis." He said the funds from this settlement will be used to protect and help Utahns.
"This is a great result for Utah and our AG team as we press forward on the front lines against those who contributed to the plight our communities face," said Douglas Crapo, director of the Utah Attorney General Office Division of White Collar & Commercial Enforcement. "While our team continues its work to force those responsible to fulfill their legal and ethical obligations to the public, this settlement is an example of our efforts being fruitful."
