The States of California and Illinois are Suing Pharmaceutical Companies for Opioid Epidemic

Why is the Attorney General's office in Pennsylvania disinterested?

Rep. Gene DiGirolamo summarizes a recent hearing of the House Human Services Committee to address opioid drug abuse.

(MYRTLE BEACH, SC) - Representative Gene DiGirolamo of Pennsylvania was quoted as saying about the prescription opioid/heroin problem in his state "People are dying all over the state of Pennsylvania -- it is a big problem and is absolutely epidemic in Pennsylvania."

His comments were made at a Hearing of the House Human Services Committee.

Following is the YouTube video of Congressman DiGirolamo acknowledging the problem in Pennsylvania in the video entitled "Opioid Drug Abuse Epidemic in Pennsylvania."

Click BELOW to view the video.

Opioid Drug Abuse Epidemic in Pennsylvania

The Hearing held on January 28, 2014 was attended by Kathleen G. Kane, Attorney General of Pennsylvania so I assume she, as well as her Deputy Attorneys General, recognize there is a health crisis not only in Pennsylvania, but in every state in the country.

When I write articles about the prescription opioid/heroin epidemic, I forward the articles to Attorneys General and Deputy Attorneys General all over the country.

For the first time in the 12 years that I have been exposing the pharmaceutical industry and the F.D.A. for this out of control epidemic, I received the following email recently from Jennifer J. Kirk, Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania:

-----Original Message-----
From: Kirk, Jennifer J.
To: 'Marianne Skolek'
Sent: Tue, Jun 3, 2014 9:52 am
Subject: RE: No accountability in the opioid/heroin epidemic results in "false prophets" ridiculing the deaths and addictions of tens of thousands

Please remove me from your distribution list
***
I replied to Deputy Attorney General Kirk that I would not be removing her from my "distribution list" since she represented people in her state and they were being lost to the opioid/heroin epidemic in record numbers and in good conscience I would not be removing her. I further advised that her state deserved a concerned and responsive Deputy Attorney General.

Below is Ms. Kirk's reply, which disturbed me:

Ms. Skolek,

I understand your concern and frustration with the legal system with regard to the use of opioids. However I am a civil attorney practicing antitrust law at the government level and cannot help you. Please remove me from your distribution list.

What a Deputy Attorney General representing the people of the State of Pennsylvania and reporting to Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane should have replied was -- "I will be forwarding your articles to the Deputy Attorney General working with AG Kane on this health crisis." Ms. Kirk is a representative of the Attorney General and let the people of Pennsylvania down minimizing the prescription opioid/heroin crisis in her state with her emails to me.

Jennifer J. Kirk
Deputy Attorney General
PA Office of Attorney General
14th Floor, Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717.787.4530
Fax: 717.787.1190
Email: jkirk@attorneygeneral.gov
LEAD ATTORNEY
PRO HAC VICE
ATTORNEY TO BE NOTICED

My recent disillusionment with Ms. Kirk reminded me of a visit I made in 2003 when I began my work at exposing the prescription drug epidemic. I drove to Pennsylvania to meet with a Deputy Attorney General named Andy Demarest. I brought files of conflicting marketing strategies used by Purdue Pharma in their push of OxyContin as less likely to be addictive.

Mr. Demarest was interested in the material. He was a little reluctant to accept the conspiracy factor I was presenting to him -- until 2004 when he sent me the following email:

Marianne,

You are making me a believer! Between their pens, their fake studies and the coopting law enforcement-it is past time. Did you see they bought a wing-a wing for Harvard Medical School!!!-Calling it pain center-what a sellout-we are rapidly becoming a country for sale. But you are right truth wins-but at such a cost-God bless-andy d

“Andy d” and I continued our working relationship by email and telephone until his retirement. To this day, I miss him and was truly appreciative of making a "believer" out of him. Unfortunately Deputy Attorney General Kirk is not a believer and the people of Pennsylvania are being abandoned during a national health crisis.

Next week I will be writing about the California lawsuit against the pharmaceutical industry in this health crisis. My hope is that other states pick up the torch and hold those responsible for this opioid/heroin epidemic accountable and file lawsuits.

LP - Peace is more important now than ever. Life sometimes pulls us on other paths -- but eventually the love puts us back on the path to happiness.

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