Angelica Ramos
Contributing Writer
MONTGOMERY COUNTY- The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, the Christiansburg Town Council and the Blacksburg Town Council all voted to approve a resolution regarding a settlement involving Kroger’s distribution of opioids.
According to county attorney Marty McMahon, the settlement is a national settlement housing opioid related claims against Kroger and its other entities as a corporation. McMahon explained to the Board of Supervisors on June 24, 2024 that multiple states have been affected by this national settlement, including Virginia. Kroger is to issue the state of Virginia 28 million dollars due to claims of Kroger issuing opiates through their pharmacies.
“All the additional money,” McMahon said, “would then go into different pots. We get 30 percent directly to us [Montgomery County]. Another 50 [percent] goes to the authority that then localities, can work together to seek grants.”
The Montgomery County resolution regarding this issue reads, “The County of Montgomery has been required and will continue to be required to allocate substantial taxpayer dollars, resources, staff energy and time to address the damage the opioid epidemic has caused and continues to cause the citizens of Montgomery County; and a settlement proposal has been negotiated that will cause Kroger to pay over a billion dollars nationwide to resolve opioid-related claims against it; and the County has approved and adopted the Virginia Opioid Abatement Fund and Settlement Allocation Memorandum of Understanding (the “Virginia MOU”), and affirms that this pending settlement with Kroger shall be considered a “Settlement” that is subject to the Virginia MOU, and shall be administered and allocated in the same manner as the opioid settlements entered into previously with the Distributors, Janssen, Teva, Allergan, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens.”
The Board of Supervisors, Christiansburg Town Council and Blacksburg Town Council all voted unanimously to approve this abatement agreement for a settlement from Kroger. County attorney McMahon explained that these funds would be paid over a time period of 11 years.
