Health officials in Portland, Oregon announced last week they will begin handing out tin foil, straws and snorting kits to drug addicts throughout the city.
As part of its “Harm Reduction Program,” the Multnomah County Health Department announced Friday that drug paraphernalia will be offered to those using fentanyl and other hard drugs, KOIN 6 reported.
The rise of fentanyl has decreased the need for needle-focused “harm reduction” services, Department spokeswoman Sarah Dean told the Willamette Week. Since fentanyl is smoked rather than injected, clinic visits have dropped 60% since 2019, Dean said. (RELATED: Biden’s Drug Czar Is A True Believer In Giving Addicts More Dope)
The program is backed by Multnomah County’s Public Health Director, Jessica Guernsey, who says, “The new part of the program is that we’re adding supplies for people who smoke drugs.”
Others are not happy with the move.
“This misguided approach also results in greater risk to public safety for those who simply want to enjoy our city without walking through a cloud of toxic smoke,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “Our community would benefit more from the County using its funding to urgently increase treatment and sobering facilities rather than actively enabling this deadly epidemic.”
Dean countered the mayor’s statement by claiming providing drug paraphernalia does not increase drug use but encourages addicts to visit clinics where they can get access to fentanyl test strips and the overdose antidote, Narcan, KOIN 6 reported.
#NEW: The Multnomah County Health Department plans to distribute aluminum foil and straws to fentanyl smokers in Portland, officials confirm. https://t.co/ePEbKm0Xil
— KOIN News (@KOINNews) July 8, 2023
The Oregon Legislative Assembly recently passed a bill decriminalizing the distribution of “drug paraphernalia” for harm reduction purposes, according to the Willamette Week. Similar programs have been launched in Washington and California. In New York City, vending machines with smoking kits and bubble pipes have recently been installed, the outlet reported.
The Oregon bill to decriminalize distribution of drug paraphernalia sits on Governor Tina Kotek’s desk awaiting signature before going into law, the New York Post reported.