After a long fight against opioids in the United States that has claimed the lives of millions of Americans, an agreement was reached this Friday in which supermarket company Kroger will pay $1.4 billion in 11 years to resolve the lawsuit against this great epidemic.
Kroger belongs to the group of retail chains, supermarkets and pharmacies that have been involved for several years in state lawsuits for the sale of opioids, although the company with its headquarters in Cincinnati and about 35 stores throughout the country did not admit any responsibility, if it will contribute to the financing of treatments against the current crisis.
Last year it was learned that abuse in The use of opioids as painkillers caused more than 650,000 people in the United States to lose their lives, much of them by overdose; Pharmaceutical companies were involved in the crisis and assumed multimillion-dollar compensation.
By the end of 2022, retail chains with pharmacies such as Walgreens, CVS and Walmart agreed to pay approximately $13.8 billion to resolve the multi-state lawsuit.
According to the statement, the money raised will be sent to state and local governments, as well as Native American tribes for treatments, It is estimated that this will cost about $36 million dollars. Regarding legal costs, legal fees, among others, approximately $177 million dollars will be allocated.
Kroger noted that “this is an important milestone in the company’s efforts to resolve pending opioid litigation and support reduction efforts, The company has long served as a leader in the fight against opioid abuse and remains committed to patient safety,” he said in the statement.
According to official figuresApproximately 80,000 people in the United States die from opioidsthe latest data on overdose deaths are related to synthetic drugs such as fentanyl.
Experts associate these addictions with the enormous amount of medications that are prescribed, therefore, it is relevant that the main suppliers are more responsible when it comes to facing this great epidemic and its devastating impact.
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Source: La Opinion
