Albertsons agreed to pay more than $773 million nationally to settle claims over its role in the opioid epidemic, as part of a multistate coalition led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Texas and its political subdivisions are eligible to receive up to $57.8 million from the settlement.
The agreement with Albertsons is the latest in a series of opioid-related settlements negotiated by the Texas attorney general's office. Paxton has secured more than $3.3 billion in settlements with drug manufacturers and other entities related to the opioid crisis, the office said. Nationally, investigations and litigation against the pharmaceutical industry have led to more than $50 billion in settlements addressing the opioid epidemic.
Funds from the settlement will be dedicated to opioid abatement efforts in Texas and overseen by the Texas Opioid Council. The state encourages political subdivisions to sign on to the settlement to ensure Texas entities receive all available benefits and remediation funds.