A federal grant program that was rumored to have, in part, provided “safer” pipes for smoking crack and crystal meth has reportedly been jettisoned.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration would have used taxpayer money to distribute “safe smoking kits and supplies,” but Republican backlash helped to tank the proposal.
“No federal funding will be used directly or through subsequent reimbursement of grantees to put pipes in safe smoking kits,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a joint statement with White House adviser Rahul Gupta.
Despite its demise, White House press secretary Jen Psaki spoke in defense of the proposed plan, saying it would have funded test kits for infectious diseases, syringe disposal containers, medication lockboxes and overdose prevention drugs.
Psaki in a separate statement said there was never any intention for the plan to pay for drug pipes, calling stories that said otherwise “inaccurate reporting.”
The Washington Post reported the grant would have been a first-of-its-kind to dozens of organizations across the country that would be able to spend the money over three years on referrals to treatment, infectious-disease testing kits, condoms, vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, and 'safe smoking kits' that include a rubber mouthpiece that prevents cuts and burns, brass screens that filter out contaminants and disinfectant wipes.
Still, Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted the plan involved 'crack pipes for all.'
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