Public and private officials around the commonwealth are wondering how much of the $110 million opioid settlement by Kroger will make it to their communities. Carmen Combs Marks is the City of Lexington’s substance use disorder intervention coordinator.
“We are in hopes to get whatever it is that we need to be able to best support in the areas of prevention, treatment and recovery support. Since becoming recovery ready back in the fall, we are able to kind of utilize that as an assessment to best understand the needs of our community,” Marks said.
Lexington’s Opioid Abatement Commission meets monthly, with the next scheduled for Valentine’s Day at 10 a.m. in city council chambers. Marks said public input is welcomed and will play a role in how Kroger opioid settlement funds are spent.
“We want to make sure that we're not just throwing money out there because we have it, but money that's going to make a difference, and we're going to be able to continue to see that difference in the change.”
Marks said any Kroger funds would be in addition to nearly $8 million the city received in a federal opioid settlement.
Lexington Opioid Abatement Commission
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