Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl.) introduced legislation to block federal funds from being used to buy crack pipes, following outrage on the right after Fox News guests and hosts accused the government of buying crack pipes for people with addictions, a claim which is not true.
The Preventing Illicit Paraphernalia for Exchange Systems (PIPES) Act “prohibits the use of federal funds for local substance use disorders services for the purchase of sterile needles or syringes for the injection of illegal drugs and, or to procure, supply or distribute pipes, cylindrical objects or other paraphernalia that can be used to smoke, inhale or ingest narcotics.”
It also said there would be an exception in the case of “a significant risk of hepatitis infection or HIV outbreak due to injection drug use.”
Late last year, the Department of Health and Human Services launched a $30 million grant that gave money to “harm reduction service providers” to help fight the country’s substance abuse problem.
Grant recipients “will be asked to develop or expand evidence-based services that may include, but not be limited to: the provision of sterile syringes, safe sex kits, prevention education about synthetic opioids and other substances, overdose prevention kits including naloxone distribution, peer worker engagement, medical services, case management and referral to treatment,” HHS said at the time.
Fox News hosts like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity used the program to claim that the Biden administration is using taxpayers’ money to buy “crack pipes” for drug users.
Republican senators like Rubio amplified the lie on Twitter saying in a video that “the Biden administration is going to be sending crack pipes and meth pipes targeting minority communities in this country.”
“Everyone knows someone who has struggled with addiction, and unfortunately, many have lost a loved one from the disease,” Rubio said. “We need to do more, but sending drug paraphernalia to addicts is not the answer.”
Manchin also released a statement saying, “every American and West Virginian has been impacted by the drug epidemic that has killed over 101,000 Americans from April 2020 to April 2021. While this is a heartbreaking issue that must be fully addressed by the federal government, using taxpayer funds to buy paraphernalia for those struggling with substance use disorder is not the solution.”
The Biden administration corrected the record on Wednesday. Press Secretary Jen Psaki said “crack pipes” were never a part of the kits.
“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 said.
HHS also put out a statement: “No federal funding will be used directly or through subsequent reimbursement of grantees to put pipes in safe smoking kits.”
