CONTRIBUTED BY THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL STEVE MARSHALL
ALABAMA —
Attorney General Steve Marshall recently announced a $44 million statewide agreement with Walmart to fund opioid abatement in Alabama’s cities and counties. This is the fifth settlement negotiated by Marshall to meaningfully address the opioid crisis in Alabama and comes with the promptest payout for local governments.
“Many of Alabama’s cities and counties have been pummeled by an epidemic that began with prescription opioids and has intensified to illicit opioids like heroin and fentanyl,” Marshall remarked. “In fact, this year, fentanyl and other opioids were recorded as the number one greatest drug threat in the state of Alabama. The agreement we have reached with Walmart will accelerate another funding stream to our locals, providing immediate aid to their fight against addiction and overdose.”
According to the terms of the agreement, Walmart will pay $35.7 million to Alabama’s local governments for the purpose of opioid abatement, while $3 million will be dedicated to improving the connectivity and integration of Alabama’s local court systems.
“I am especially pleased that Walmart has agreed to fund technological improvements for our local courts,” Marshall said. “Our district and circuit courts have borne a great share of the burden of navigating this epidemic. After conversations with judges in some of the hardest-hit areas of our state, I was determined to recover funding for this effort. Fortunately, Walmart recognized the lasting value of what we are trying to build.”
The total value of the agreement is $44.2 million, less $5.5 million for attorneys’ fees. The state of Alabama was not a plaintiff in the case against Walmart; rather, the Marshall negotiated the statewide deal on behalf of local entities, many of which sued Walmart.
To date Marshall has sued seven opioid-related defendants and has finalized settlements valued at more than $300 million for the state and its local governments to combat the scourge of opioids across Alabama.