The federal government is rolling out a new initiative to help combat drug addiction.
According reports, the Health and Human Service (HHS) has a new $30 million grant program that will fund the distribution of items, like crack pipes, for smoking illicit substances. It’s meant to be a harm reduction program. The money will also have funding for syringe exchange programs, the opioid reversal drug naloxone, test kits to detect fentanyl and “safe smoking kits/supplies,” among other traditional measures, like HIV testing and safer sex resources.
An HHS spokesperson reportedly confirmed to The Washington Free Beacon these “safe smoking kits” will provide pipes for the consumption of “any illicit substance” to reduce the risk of infection, which can potentially occur through cuts and sores, according to a local report. Black Enterprise reports, the program aims to reduce the risk of infection when doing drugs with glass pipes. It prioritizes the organizations that target “underserved communities,” including African Americans and “LGBTQ+ persons,” to comply with President Biden’s executive order on “advancing racial equity,” according to the grant document.