Saturday, February 15, 2025

Gatesville joins Kroger opioid settlement

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The City of Gatesville will receive around $10,000 that can be utilized toward local opioid abatement resources by joining Texas in a $83 million opioid settlement with Kroger – one of numerous statewide settlements tied to the opioid epidemic.

Gatesville City Council formally approved the city’s participation during a regular meeting on Tuesday via a consent agenda item. The city had already applied to join the settlement by the deadline on Dec. 29.

“The Kroger Opioid Settlement provides a benefit to the City of Gatesville by providing us with additional funding for a variety of functions,” City Manager Brad Hunt said.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the settlement with Kroger in a November press release. Joining the settlement allows local governments to receive direct payments and grant money in the form of opioid abatement funding from the Texas Opioid Council.

Gatesville will receive approximately $10,000 by participating in the settlement. The city can use the funding for any purpose that is linked to opioid abatement.

Hunt said potential uses for the funds include:

  • The purchase of Naloxone or “Narcan” for carry and use by first responders to provide an antidote to potential opioid overdoses.
  • Purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE) and risk-reducing drug testing equipment for police.
  • Community education, outreach, and resources for prevention programs and for those suffering from opioid-related addiction and issues.

“Direct share payment distributions are handled by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company,” Hunt said.

According to Attorney General Paxton, Kroger is the most recent in a series of agreements Texas has negotiated with to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable for the national trend of overdoses and deaths from prescription opioids. Four of the other agreements are with opioid manufacturers Johnson & Johnson, Endo, Teva, and Allergan.

One in four Texans has experienced an opioid overdose or knows someone who has, according to Texas Health and Human Services.

“We’ve worked relentlessly to hold major pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies accountable for their role in the national opioid epidemic that has created so much suffering in our state,” Paxton said in a press release. “This settlement is an important step in our ongoing efforts to securing justice for Texas.”

Paxton has obtained over $3 billion in legal settlements with drug manufacturers and other entities for their roles in the national opioid epidemic, per the release.

“We have participated in other settlements and have received about $10,000 thus far,” Hunt said. “With more settlements anticipated by the Texas Attorney General’s Office, it is difficult to predict when future funds may be released. However, our participation in this settlement paves the way for continued participation in future ones.”

To learn more about the Global Opioid Settlement, visit https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/globalopioidsettlement