"New York City just introduced crack pipe vending machines. Really."

Bingo.

Shared crack pipe use can lead to transmission of HIV, Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C, all significant health issues. Giving out free crack pipes is no more going to lead to more people becoming addicted to crack than free syringes caused more people to become heroin addicts.

Some posters NEVER seem to be able to get past the sensational headline or look beyond an obviously biased story to get to the real heart of the matter. That is why they are so constantly being ripped new ones.

 

It seems surprising that it would work, but addiction is a strange thing. If seemingly unconventional things can have a positive impact, then go for it.

Alachua County, I believe, has a program like this (needle exchange). No clue of any data showing success or not, but the door was opened by everybody's favorite governor of all people.

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

 

They could have pipes in them. To be transparent about my thinking here, part of the red flag to me with the anger over handing out free "crack pipes" is that I believe the vast majority of overdoses have been from fentynyl and other opioids. I don't think crack is even an opioid, and we know about the reported racial disparities in sentencing that were common and the argument that at least part of that was because crack was considered a drug more popular with Black addicts. Tying that in with the focus on big cities and the relative lack of attention placed on somewhere like West Virginia, and it seemed click-baity to me.

 

I'm still waiting for Rick's response on the source of outrage, but I suspect this policy violates well established far right wing philosophy that cruelty is the best medicine for the addicted and downtrodden.

 

Just hope

and I thought crack was an antibiotic. Damn crackheads are everywhere

 

I like to think I’m one on most issues.

 

Crack is bad

M kay

 

What’s your opinion?

 

Well not your liberal ass

 

I read the words. It’s not just crack pipes and it looks like the city is trying to cut down on deaths. From the article:
“Well-stocked with "safer smoking" kits containing free crack pipes, "safer sniffing" kits, fentanyl testing strips, overdose-reversing Narcan nasal sprays, nicotine gum and condoms on Monday morning, the big blue box contained just one overdose-reversal kit and a pair of testing strips the next day.

The city plans to install three more of the street corner smoke shops, each costing $11,000, in neighborhoods suffering the most from the opioid overdose crisis.”

 

Lol, good luck with that

 

Yes, that's exactly what we need our government making safer crack pipes

 

Why not? Would you prefer more dangerous pipes?

 

And you know this how? That's right you don't.

 

Yes you and many other of our local libbies are

 

You can't be for real?

 

You’re the one having a hissy fit, the rest of us are doing just fine.

 

I agree, but that's the fiscal conservative in my. Free crack pipes are way cheaper than Hep-B, Hep-C or HIV treatments. Glad we agree.

 

So you think that’s an appropriate answer to my question?