BOSTON – While the city of Boston has long run needle exchange initiatives, new “harm reduction” strategies now include handing out free pipes that can be used to smoke crack or methamphetamine.
Health officials say the goal is to keep intravenous drug users away from needles, but some local business owners are upset about another giveaway they believe will attract drug users to an already overcrowded area. .
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“Why do we give them pipes? Are you kidding me… it’s like giving them needles,” sings Gerry DiPerro, whose construction company sits next to Boston’s ironically nicknamed “methadone mile,” a homeless encampment where addicts openly use drugs. is standing. .
A chimney for cocaine use, a needle for heroin use, and a pipe for methamphetamine.
(Reuters/David Ryder, File)
“I can give you a hundred needles that are always picking, what’s it doing? It’s just coming to the center zone to get everything.”
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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat, defends the state-funded handouts.
“Every step we take must be focused on saving lives immediately,” says Wu. “We’ve seen a huge reduction, and the data has proven the success of the program’s goals, which is to ensure an end to preventable infections.”
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks to the media in January 2022.
(Stewart Cahill/Boston Herald, File)
Not all city politicians are on board. City Councilman Michael Flaherty, a Democrat, said he doesn’t believe the pipes will burst in what he calls a humanitarian crisis.
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“People who are struggling need treatment and recovery and need mental health services. We shouldn’t be helping those poor souls out there,” Flaherty said.
Vandals and vagrants often target DiPierro’s trucks and buildings, smashing windows and costing him thousands. He said he was frustrated by a broken system and failed strategies.
“Why would they go across town to get help, they can get everything they need right here… it doesn’t make sense.”
Earlier this year, the White House denied that federal funding would directly or indirectly pay for crack pipes in safe smoking kits.