COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Kroger has agreed to a $1.2 billion settlement to resolve lawsuits related to the opioid addiction crisis.
Cobb County, which has led Georgia in opioid deaths in recent years, will get money from the settlement.
Channel 2′s Tom Regan was in Cobb County Friday, where officials plan to use the funds to support recovery efforts for those struggling with addiction.
“We believe Cobb has been affected more than any other county in the state,” said Cobb County Spokesman Ross Cavitt.
Kroger was just one of many retailers across the country sued in the wake of the opioid epidemic that spanned a tidal wave of overdose deaths across the nation, including in Georgia.
Cobb County joined thousands of plaintiffs in litigation against pharmacy chains like Kroger, as well as manufacturers and distributors of opioids.
The exact amount the county will receive is still unclear.
“It depends on how many others agreed to be part of the settlement, and this is over an 11-year period, so we really don’t know how much money we are going to get,” said Cavitt.
The county has formed an Opioid Abatement Advisory Council to determine the best ways to use the settlement money. The Davis Direction Foundation, which helps thousands of people in recovery, will be seeking assistance.
“We try to help (addicts) get ready to re-enter society and become a contributing member this time,” said Missy Owen from the Davis Direction Foundation.
Owen, who lost her son to drug addiction, said that while prescription opioid deaths are decreasing, fatal overdoses from illicit fentanyl are increasing rapidly.
“Fentanyl is everywhere. It’s in every illicit drug. Anywhere. Every illicit drug you get off the street, you can count it has fentanyl in it,” Owen said.
Cobb County has already received $5.2 million from previous opioid settlements.
Regan reached out to Kroger for comment on their settlement but hasn’t gotten a response yet.