Eaton County to receive more than $1.5 million in opioid settlement

FILE – An arrangement of Oxycodone pills sit next to a bottle in New York on Aug. 29, 2018. A long-awaited review of prescription opioid medications, including…

FILE – An arrangement of Oxycodone pills sit next to a bottle in New York on Aug. 29, 2018. A long-awaited review of prescription opioid medications, including their risks and contribution to the U.S. overdose epidemic, is still underway at the Food and Drug Administration, the agency’s commissioner said Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

by: Wells Foster

Posted: Feb 6, 2023 / 09:28 PM EST

Updated: Feb 6, 2023 / 09:28 PM EST

EATON COUNTY, Mich. (WLNS) – Eaton County has agreed to a settlement in an ongoing lawsuit with Meijer over the retail chain’s alleged role in the opioid epidemic.

The county will receive a one-time payment of $1,556,250 from the settlement’s $35 million total. This settlement covers multiple counties in the Midwest.

The lawsuit was part of the National Opioid Litigation, a lawsuit that aims to hold opioid manufacturers and distributors accountable for allegedly exacerbating the opioid epidemic.

The Eaton County Board of Commissioners agreed to the settlement Monday night.

“While no amount of money can bring back our friends and family who we have lost to substance use disorder, I am hopeful we can use these dollars to create conditions that better support those struggling now,” Commissioner Trevor Youngquist said on social media.

The full agreement can be read here.

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