How Illinois will decide where to spend $40M opioid settlement with Kroger

CHICAGO — Illinois leaders are evaluating how to spend the state's $40 million share of a $1.4 billion bipartisan national settlement with Kroger over the grocery chain’s role in the opioid crisis. The settlement is the latest contribution to the 2021 Illinois Opioid Allocation Agreement steered by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and state’s attorneys.

“This settlement ensures Kroger is held accountable and allows resources to reach communities hardest hit by this ongoing opioid crisis that continues to affect all corners of America,” Raoul said in announcing the settlement earlier this month. Under the agreement, Kroger will also require its pharmacies “to monitor, report and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions,” the statement said. The agreement will only be applicable to states in which Kroger and its subsidiaries operate, according to the statement, noting that in Illinois, Kroger operates under the Kroger name as well as Mariano’s and others.



By 2038, Illinois’ Opioid Remediation Fund is projected to receive approximately $772.6 million in total from various opioid manufacturers and distributors, according to the . The state was awarded more than $420 million from Johnson & Johnson, Walmart, Walgreens, Allergan, CVS, Teva, Mallinckrodt, and opioid distributors, such as AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.

Since Gov. JB Pritzker signed in 2022, funds received from any settlements will be distributed into three areas: To date, Illinois has committed or spent $115 million from the fund, according to the Illinois Opioid Settlement website. Most of the money has been awarded to organizations that have applied for funding to implement opioid abatement programs in their areas.

The is the governor-appointed body that is responsible for making advisory recommendations for how the Illinois Opioid Remediation Trust Fund will be spent. State Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago, was appointed by the governor to serve on the board, along with organizations that represent the needs of the entire state.

In an interview, Ford said he has dedicated a lot of his time to this issue. “Lt. Gov.

Juliana Stratton brought grassroots organizations to the advisory board, allowing them to have input on how the money is being spent, which is critical, when you have people, organizations, nonprofits doing the work and having a say in how the settlement funds are spent,” Ford said. All programs and funding priorities must align with strategies described in the 2021 agreement, including: According to Ford, once recommendations are made by the advisory board, they will be forwarded to Raoul’s office for approval to ensure that the programs align with the priorities set in the settlement agreement. Raoul Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

.