White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is pushing back against “inaccurate reporting” on a grant program that would allegedly distribute crack pipes.
During a White House press briefing Wednesday, a reporter noted the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department issued a statement “around some of the reports that crack pipes are not going to be part of the safe smoking kits that are funded by the administration.”
The reporter asked Psaki, “Can you clarify…were they never a part of the kit, or were they removed in response to this reporting and this pushback?”
She responded, “They were never part of the kit. It was inaccurate reporting and we wanted to put out information to make that clear.”
When asked what is in the safe smoking kits, Psaki said, “A safe smoking kit may contain alcohol swabs, lip balm, other materials to promote hygiene and reduce the transmission of diseases like HIV and Hepatitis.”
Psaki told reporters what “we’re really talking about here is steps that we’re taking as a federal government to address the opioid epidemic which is killing tens of thousands if not more Americans every single day, week, month of the year.”
Watch part of the briefing below:
Psaki says crack pipes "were never a part of the kit. It was inaccurate reporting and we wanted to put out information to make that clear." pic.twitter.com/1mmgc8BIv7
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) February 9, 2022
On Tuesday, Fox News reported the department’s $30 million grant would fund the distribution of items, including crack pipes, for smoking.
The outlet noted The Washington Free Beacon first reported on the grant. The department would reportedly prioritize applicants in “underserved communities.”
The Fox News report explains, “An HHS spokesperson reportedly told the Beacon that the grants would fund smoking kits with pipes for users to smoke crystal methamphetamine, crack cocaine and ‘any illicit substances.'”
Still, the department called the report by the Beacon “misinformation.”
A department spokesperson said in a statement, “The Harm Reduction Grant offered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and authorized by the American Rescue Plan is a grant program designed to help Americans who are struggling with substance use stay healthy and safe, prevent overdose death, and find pathways into evidence-based treatments.”
The spokesperson continued, “Like all programs that use federal funding, these grants must adhere to relevant federal, state, and local laws or regulations.”