Health Officials Release Statement Amid Reports of Biden’s $30M Crack Pipe Program

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a statement after reports said President Joe Biden’s administration is finalizing funding for a $30 million program that would, in part, give crack pipes to drug addicts.

This week, outlets including Newsweek and WTVO reported that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) program called the 2022 Harm Reduction Program Grant — overseen by HHS — will provide funds to local governments and nonprofits to purchase and distribute items that aim to reduce the risk of infection among drug users.

Per the application, due February 7, 2022, the list of 20 items include condoms, infectious disease testing kits, and crack pipes.

“The purpose of the program is to support community-based overdose prevention programs, syringe services programs, and other harm reduction services,” the 75-page document said, adding that funding will be used for prevention activities to “help control the spread of infectious diseases and the consequences of such diseases for individuals with, or at risk of developing substance use disorders (SUD).”

A spokesperson for HHS reportedly told the Washington Free Beacon this week that these kits will provide pipes for users to smoke crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and “any illicit substance.” HHS added that the kits aim to reduce the risk of infection when smoking substances with glass pipes, which can lead to infections through cuts and sores.

Applicants who are granted funding will be “expected to develop a behavioral health disparity impact statement no later than 60 days” after the funding is awarded to show how their efforts benefit under-resourced populations such as racial, sexual, gender, and ethnic minority groups.

“The priority populations for this program are underserved communities that are greatly impacted by [substance use disorders],” the document said, referencing underserved communities as defined by Executive Order 13985.

In that executive order, issued on January 20, 2021, Biden said that “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.”

Per the HHS document, an estimated total of more than $29 million in funding would be available over a three-year period and awards of grant funding should be made from May 15, 2022.

WTVO notes that selling or distributing drug paraphernalia is against federal law, unless authorized by the government. The outlet adds that funding for the program comes from the Democrats’ American Rescue Plan.

After the news went viral, an overwhelming number of citizens expressed outrage at the program, including Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who sent a letter to HHS expressing her “grave concerns” that taxpayer money could potentially be used to distribute crack pipes.

“The administration should be providing resources to entities that prevent drug abuse and to those that can prevent harm without providing drug paraphernalia,” Blackburn wrote, previously adding, “If this is the President’s plan to address drug abuse, our nation is in serious trouble.”

In response to the controversy, a spokesperson for HHS told The Shade Room that “these comments are misleading and misinformed.”

“Too many Americans have lost their lives to drug overdose. Evidence-based community harm reduction services such as naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and syringe services programs help people stay alive and are proven strategies for addressing this tragic epidemic,” the representative said.