New York City is putting drug vending machines in areas of heavy drug use in order to encourage the use of ‘safer’ illegal drugs as opposed to drugs like fentanyl.
The machines include items such as free crack pipes, lip balm and an overdose medication called Naloxone.
Here’s more from Fox News:
New York City health officials on Monday unveiled the city’s first public health vending machine, featuring free drug paraphernalia and anti-overdose meds for addicts.
The big blue box was installed in Brooklyn on Monday and will offer potentially life-saving Naloxone to drug users who have overdosed on opioids, along with instructions on how to use the drug. Instead of snacks or sodas, the vending machine also has hygiene kits and safe sex kits for anyone with a New York City ZIP code to claim.
Officials say similar machines in the U.S., Europe and Australia have demonstrated effectiveness at reducing overdose rates and the spread of infectious diseases.
Overdose deaths in New York City are at historic highs. In 2021, there were 2,668 overdose deaths in NYC, compared with 2,103 in 2020. In 2021, 84% of overdose deaths involved an opioid. Fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, was involved in 80% of all overdose deaths, according to the NYC Department of Health.
Officials said there were 1,370 confirmed overdose deaths in the first half of 2022. They estimate 2022 will be the deadliest year on record for overdoses if that trend continues.
The vending machine is designed to curb that trend by giving addicts free access to Naloxone, drug-test strips that detect fentanyl, and “Safer Smoking” kits that come with a pipe, mouthpiece and lip balm for smoking crack and crystal meth.
The machine also comes equipped with “Safer Sniffing” kits, condoms, tampons, nicotine gum and first-aid packages, according to the New York Post.
I know the war on drugs is a difficult battle, especially when the Biden administration is letting so much fentanyl over the border, but it’s insane to encourage the use of illegal drugs just because they are less deadly.
A solution like this reminds me of how Democrats deal with poverty among single women, by allowing them to murder their unborn babies. It’s simply absurd.