A man prepares his pipe to smoke crack in an area known as 'crackland' at the "pacified" Jacarezinho slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
This article has been updated to reflect that the Biden administration disputes the claims it is handing out crack pipes.
Conservatives launched an online attack this week, claiming that the government plans to spend $30 million on pipes for smoking crack cocaine.
The Biden administration is providing funding to fight against drug addiction but has denied claims that crack pipes are among the supplies included on its approved equipment list. However, critics of the funding are promoting misinformation including some conservative members of the Republican party, The Washington Post reported.
The Department of Health announced a grant to fund “harm reduction” tools as drug overdose deaths reach a record high in the U.S. These tools include distributing “safe smoking kits” to minimize risks of HIV and hepatitis transmission associated with drug use such as clean needles and alcohol wipes.
Such kits also typically include a rubber mouthpiece to prevent cuts and burns and brass screens to filter contaminants, according to Harm Reduction International.
These will be distributed through the department’s harm reduction program as a part of a nearly $30 million grant program from the HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The grant will fund local governments, nonprofits and other community-based organizations in hopes of tackling the record cases of drug addiction and overdoses.
“The purpose of the program is to support community-based overdose prevention programs, syringe services programs, and other harm reduction services,” the grant application states.
Officials believe providing the kits will help limit the risk of infection by preventing drug addicts from using glass pipes, which lead to cuts and sores – or sharing them.
Several reports began circulating online this week which stated that a spokesperson said the “crack pipes” are also intended to encourage drug users to smoke substances like crystal methamphetamine, rather than injecting themselves because the latter is riskier.
Many Republicans bolstered the narrative.
“Joe Biden is handing out crack pipes to help ‘racial equity’…during Black History Month. No I’m not joking. No I’m not lying. This is what he thinks of our community,” Republican California Congressional Candidate Errol Webber tweeted.
“The Biden administration is going to be sending crack pipes and meth pipes, targeting minority communities,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said in a video message. “I know that sounds insane, I know that sounds too crazy to be true.”
Rubio doubled down on Twitter writing, “Our government sending crack pipes to people with a drug addiction is one of the grossest & most despicable ideas of late *And there’s stiff competition* I also have people I love struggling with addiction & I don’t want deranged politicians sending them drug paraphernalia.”
“President Trump offered Black America the Platinum Plan and the First Step Act. Joe Biden is offering them crack pipes,” Lavern Spicer tweeted.
However, the Biden Administration said the narrative is false.
“HHS and ONDCP are focused on using our resources smartly to reduce harm and save lives. Accordingly, no federal funding will be used directly or through subsequent reimbursement of grantees to put pipes in safe smoking kits,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Rahul Gupta said in a statement. “The goal of harm reduction is to save lives.”
Press Secretary Jen Psaki echoed Becerra and said a spokesperson from the administration never spoke to the conservative Washington Free Beacon, which originated the reports that crack pipes were in the kits.
“We wanted to put out information to make that clear,” Psaki said. “The safe smoking kit may contain alcohol swabs, lip balm, other materials to promote hygiene and reduce the transmission of diseases like HIV and hepatitis.”
“Even though this has never been a part of what’s been funded, we felt it was important to put out a public statement from the federal government to make that clear because we saw the spreading of misinformation and the fact that it was having an impact on a range of communities,” Psaki continued. “And we felt, even though it was never true, that we needed to put out a proactive statement.”
Jamie Favaro, the executive director of NEXT Distro, told The Washington Post that his organization was applying for the grant. He said he thought the “misinformation” was problematic. “It’s really disappointing that Republicans are trying to win political points by putting lives at risk and creating misinformation about harm reduction,” Favaro said.
According to the grant, organizations will be able to purchase equipment and supplies like overdose reversal medication, syringes, wound care management supplies, safe-sex kits, medication lock boxes, substance test kits and more.
The program aims to help nonprofits build sustainable programs that include prevention education, treatment and recovery support services for HIV and other STIs, evidence-based trauma-informed practices in the organizational structure and more.
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Applications closed Monday, Feb. 7 and money is set to be awarded starting in May. Grantees can receive up to $400,000 per year.
Organizations that prioritize underserved populations like Black Americans, Native Americans and members of the LGBTQ community will be given priority.
The program is said to fulfill the directive in one of Biden’s executive orders in which he states, “the Federal Government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.”
The grant is just one of several approaches the Biden Administration is taking as the Department of Justice (DOJ) has said they may allow the opening of safe injection sites – where users of heroin and other drugs are allowed to use substances under the supervision of medical experts that will work to help prevent overdoses.
The DOJ told The Associated Press (AP) it was “evaluating” the facilities and talking to regulators about “appropriate guardrails.”
“Although we cannot comment on pending litigation, the Department is evaluating supervised consumption sites, including discussions with state and local regulators about appropriate guardrails for such sites, as part of an overall approach to harm reduction and public safety,” the agency said in a statement Friday to the AP.
This is an extreme reversal from the administration of former President Donald Trump, who fought against a planned opening of a safe injection site in Philadelphia. The court ultimately sided with the Trump administration, stating a safe site violated a 1980s law aimed at “crackhouses.”
Some are upset over the HHS grant program and the safe injection sites, saying they will do more harm than good by enabling drug abuse. Others have called out the disparity in how the government responded in the 1980s and 1990s when crack ravaged the Black community.
“If we look at more of a preventive campaign as opposed to an enabling campaign, I think it will offer an opportunity to have safer communities with fewer people who are dependable on these substances,” said Sgt. Clyde Boatwright, president of the Maryland Fraternal Order of Police.
Users on Twitter also weighed in. See some of their comments below.
