Great Lakes Wire

The deadline for counties and local municipalities to register for payments from the $1.2 billion national Kroger settlement has been extended to Wednesday, September 11, 2024. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel urges local governments that have not yet enrolled in the settlement to complete and submit their participation paperwork by this new deadline. Local Michigan governments and the state will receive approximately $42 million from this settlement over an 11-year period to aid in their efforts to combat the opioid crisis.

“The opioid crisis wreaked havoc on our communities, leaving men, women, and children forever changed,” said Nessel when announcing the settlement last month. “While this settlement cannot erase the profound impact the opioid epidemic continues to have on our state, it does represent a significant step toward holding companies accountable for the suffering they have caused. I urge every eligible municipality to register to receive these funds so this settlement can effectively reach our communities and help those most desperately in need.”

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports that between 2000 and 2020, the state's opioid death rate rose by an average of 13.9% per year, straining criminal justice, child welfare, and healthcare systems. In addition to its financial devastation, the opioid epidemic has destroyed neighborhoods, strained relationships, and torn families apart.

Since taking office as Attorney General in 2019, AG Nessel has prioritized responding to the opioid crisis and holding accountable those who have contributed to it. Through settlements with businesses such as Publicis, McKinsey & Co., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceutical, Allergan Pharmaceutical, CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, and drug distributors Cardinal Health, McKesson Inc., and AmerisourceBergen Corp., Attorney General Nessel has brought over $1.6 billion to Michigan governments.

State and local governments will receive settlement money for opioid use disorder treatment and remediation. Visit the Opioid Settlement Distribution website for more details, including an updated Opioid Settlement Payment Estimator worksheet with estimates from the Kroger settlement.

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