White House pushes back on Fox News reports claiming the government is buying crack pipes for drug addicts


U.S. President Joe Biden gesture during a meeting in the State Dining Room of the White House on February 09, 2022 in Washington, DC. President Biden held the meeting to discuss clean energy efforts with CEOs of electric utility companies throughout the United States. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Biden administration rolled out a $30 million program to make drug-taking safer.

Fox News hosts and guests said handing out crack pipes to drug users makes the problem worse.

The White House and HHS scrambled to clarify that crack pipes were not included in its safe drug use kits.

The White House condemned "misinformation" after Fox News guests and hosts accused the government of buying crack pipes for drug addicts.

The Department of Health and Human Services launched a $30 million grant late last year for organizations to make drug-taking safer for addicts, including by handing out kits.

Fox News hosts including Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity seized on the project on Wednesday, claiming the government was using taxpayer money to give crack pipes to addicts for free.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki scrambled to clear the record Wednesday, telling reporters crack pipes "were never a part of the kit."

"We felt it was important to put out a public statement from the federal government to make that clear because we saw the spreading of misinformation and the fact that it was having an impact on a range of communities," she said.

The kit will contain "alcohol swabs, lip balm, other materials to promote hygiene and reduce the transmission diseases like HIV and hepatitis," Psaki added.

HHS also said in a statement: "No federal funding will be used directly or through subsequent reimbursement of grantees to put pipes in safe smoking kits."

Fox News did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Fox News hosts and guests slammed the policy. "The Biden administration is promoting drug addiction. They've been caught doing it and now they're denying it," Carlson said.

The attorney and Fox News guest David Bruno later told "Fox News @ Night" that "under no circumstances should they be distributing paraphernalia like this [crack pipes.]"

A number of GOP lawmakers have also used the rumor to attack the Biden administration.

"Just because HHS bureaucrats are not *personally* handing out the crack pipes doesn't make this a good idea," Sen. Tom Cotton tweeted.

And Sen. Marsha Blackburn tweeted Tuesday: "US taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund vending machines for crack pipes."

Throwing shade on Biden's vaccine mandate, Rep. Jim Jordan also tweeted: "Will you have to show your vaccine passport to get your crack pipe?"

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