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03/28/2024 09:31 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20190&cosponId=29095
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House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: April 3, 2019 12:00 PM
From: Representative Angel Cruz
To: All House members
Subject: The Time is NOW: Urge Attorney General to pursue legal actions over Opioid Crisis in PA
 
5,456. The number of drug-related overdose deaths Pennsylvania experienced in 2017. The number of mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and spouses who have lost their lives needlessly due to the most significant public health crisis to ever face Pennsylvania -- the opioid crisis.

While great strides have been taken to try to combat the heroin and opioid crisis over the past few years, much more work needs to be done. Having a system in place to monitor prescriptions, a statewide disaster declaration and conducting investigations, while important, can only do so much. Having naloxone available is helping to save many people’s lives, which only means that the number of overdose deaths would be much higher without it.

Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states that is yet to pursue legal actions over the opioid crisis. We need to get to the root of the problem, which started decades ago with the deceitful and questionable, if not unlawful, marketing and sale of opioids by pharmaceutical companies, distributors and manufacturers. To that end, I am urging the Attorney General to finally file suit against those responsible for those practices. I am further urging the Attorney General to pursue wrongful death suits on behalf of the thousands of Pennsylvania families who have lost loved ones to this epidemic.

There is hope. Purdue Pharma just settled its first lawsuit with Oklahoma on March 26, 2019. Pennsylvania needs to act now. Please join me in being a voice for the thousands impacted by the opioid crisis.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact my Harrisburg office at 717-705-1925.



Introduced as HR344