Another huge settlement surrounding the opioid crisis.
Three major retailers -- CVS, Walgreens and Walmart -- are tentatively agreeing to pay at least 12-billion dollars to settle opioid-related lawsuits, according to multiple reports out today.
The chains were sued by thousands of state and local governments over accusations of mishandling the highly-addictive drug.
The deal calls for CVS to pay four-point-nine billion dollars, Walgreens to pay at least four-billion and Walmart to pay three-billion.
An estimated nine-point-five million Americans age 12 and older reported in 2020 to have misused opioids, including nine-point-three million prescription pain reliever abusers and over 900-thousand heroin users, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.
(Photo Credit: John Baibak, NewsRadio Ri)