Kentucky gets $53 million in Wal-Mart 50-state mega settlement. Where will it go?
Kentucky got a sizable chunk of an historic $3.1 billion settlement with retail giant Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart, which offers pharmaceutical services, reached an agreement with all 50 states for its role in exacerbating the opioid epidemic. Kentucky received $53 million of the overall settlement, Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s office announced on Wednesday.
According to terms laid out in a bill setting up the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, 50 percent will be distributed to local governments and 50 percent will go to the state to be used for opioid addiction-related projects. Acceptable uses for the funds are laid out in the bill, which was passed in 2021.
According to a report from the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, Kentucky lost 2,250 residents to overdose deaths in 2021. Ninety percent of these deaths were linked to opioids.
“The Commonwealth is among the states hardest hit by this scourge. This office continues to act to protect our citizens from drug addiction. I’m pleased that Walmart has come to the table to help fund our efforts to end the opioid crisis,” Cameron said in a statement.
Cameron’s office said that, with the Wal-Mart settlement, Kentucky stands to receive over $531 million total from companies for their role in the opioid epidemic. In 2021, Cameron’s office announced that the state would receive more than $460 million in a similar settlement agreement with AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson, as well as Johnson & Johnson.
Wal-Mart, in a statement, said that the money would go to good use, but did not agree with the allegations forwarded against it during the litigation.
“Walmart believes these settlements are in the best interest of all parties and will provide significant aid to communities across the country in the fight against the opioid crisis, with aid reaching state and local governments faster than any other nationwide opioid settlement to date, subject to satisfying all settlement requirements. Walmart strongly disputes the allegations in these matters, and these settlements do not include any admission of liability,” the statement read.
This story was originally published December 21, 2022 at 1:02 PM.
