White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is pushing back against âinaccurate reportingâ 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 âaround some of the reports that crack pipes are not going to be part of the safe smoking kits that are funded by the administration.â
The reporter asked Psaki, âCan you clarifyâŚwere they never a part of the kit, or were they removed in response to this reporting and this pushback?â
She responded, âThey were never part of the kit. It was inaccurate reporting and we wanted to put out information to make that clear.â
When asked what is in the safe smoking kits, Psaki said, âA safe smoking kit may contain alcohol swabs, lip balm, other materials to promote hygiene and reduce the transmission of diseases like HIV and Hepatitis.â
Psaki told reporters what âweâre really talking about here is steps that weâre 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.â
Watch part of the briefing below:
On Tuesday, Fox News reported the departmentâs $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 âunderserved communities.â
The Fox News report explains, âAn HHS spokesperson reportedly told the Beacon that the grants would fund smoking kits with pipes for users to smoke crystal methamphetamine, crack cocaine and âany illicit substances.'â
Still, the department called the report by the Beacon âmisinformation.â
A department spokesperson said in a statement, âThe 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.â
The spokesperson continued, âLike all programs that use federal funding, these grants must adhere to relevant federal, state, and local laws or regulations.â
