"New York City just introduced crack pipe vending machines. Really."

So now your cool without Gov assisting in overdoses as long as we save money on Hep-B, Hep-C or HIV treatments, wow what a very compassionate liberal you are, I bet your firm would be proud of you

 

Well I think your question was dumb

 

Makes perfect sense to me New York is a blue city isn't it. It's what the voters want.

 

Why you checking out my ass? I'm a dude. Weird.

 

Why do you think it was dumb? You should educate yourself on how drugs and disease is fought in vulnerable communities. What you learn might be enlightening.

 

Of course I made it up. There has been no research on transmission of diseases through shared crack pipe use. There has been no research on transmission of diseases through shared needle use.

Health agencies just decided to give out free syringes and crack pipes to annoy morons. I'm sure that's it.

 

Not overdoses, just disease free implements. That fiscal conservative streak is also one of the many reasons I am a strong supporter of abortion rights even to the extent I'm fine with the government establishing free clinics for indigent women. The cost will pay for itself in a second. The average cost to have a baby in a hospital is over $18,000. Then start dialing in food stamps, financial assistance and medical care for 18 years. I know you're onboard for paying for all of those things.

 

Sometimes I would think that you paid very close attention to that lesson Wardamn.

 

Save the taxpayer’s money on the kits. Leave the pipes and the needles. Mr. Darwin will be along shortly to do his thing.

 

The point of programs like this isn’t to reduce drug use or even address addiction, it’s recognizing there ARE drug addicts and there are health consequences to that (spread of diseases, od’ing). The case for the needle programs are well supported in public health. This also seems reasonable and in line with the ideas behind those proven needle programs.

Stuff like this shouldn’t replace efforts to actually get people off drugs, it isn’t an either/or. It just simply recognizes that there ARE junkies out there and these are preventive measures to lessen the spread of disease among users.

 

And… there it is. The compassion of a sociopath.

Several posters here, including a former conservative mod have lost kids to overdose. Maybe you should think of that before making douchebag comments.

 

First off Bling, FY and don’t lecture me. I grew up in the late 70’s in what is now one of the worst areas of Orlando, and went to UF before the war on drugs. I’ve lost four friends over the years to addiction. Have two that beat it. Two truths have come from that: No amount of guilt or effort on mine or some of the other guys could have helped or changed where they ended up. A group of us even put up over $20K for rehab and to help his wife and kids while he was gone. Do I miss those guys? You’re damn right I do. But nothing helps until they come to grips with the second truth; No one beats it until they are ready to do it themselves. Both who have beat or bottomed out at unimaginable levels for them. That was the point they will both say was rhe point where they broke down and turned their lives around.

Needles and crackpipes are only postponing the inevitable and keeping the ones who would otherwise beat it from doing so as well as keeping them in their own hell.

 

You once put up $20 for rehab? Holy smokes! I guess that absolves you of your current “let them suffer and die” sociopathy.

The needle stuff doesn’t even require compassion like the treatment vs. incarceration debate when it comes to drug criminalization. It actually makes fiscal sense to address chronic disease. Even if you think treating addiction is a waste of time, it’s not about that. It’s about the spread of disease. Sometimes infectious disease spreads to non-addict family members, or even random people. Who cares about that though, right?

 

Did I say did that? No. I said a group of his caring friends.

And thank you once again Dr. Fauci for forwarding idiotic ideas in the name of public health.

 

Fauci??? I see. So you’ve actually lost it completely. My condolences to your family.

 

Some posters here must already utilize them heavily

 

Generally speaking, I don't have a problem with the needle dispensaries if they truly save lives, which is debatable, as I feel they normalize self-destructive drug use, which often leads to early death or other problems in that person's life. But I'm good with it if it truly helps. That said, it should be funded privately or through a non-profit 100% of the time. In general, I'm against taxation of individuals to pay for other people's mistakes. Some of that is inevitable, but this goes too far. It also sends a message that "hey, it's your cool ass government here. So, you got an opioid addiction? Cool.. at least get your needles here so you don't get HIV. But enjoy that heroin!! We hope our free needles don't lead you to an overdose and if they do, ooops, at least our hearts were in the right place, right??"

That's not the right message, no matter how you try to spin it.

 

Message doesn’t matter. It’s not about “messaging” it’s about public health. I get that you can’t wrap your head around the counter intuitive nature of giving out drug paraphernalia (same reasoning religious freaks go crazy at the thought of high schools dispensing condoms or birth control, to do so acknowledges that yes, pre-marital sex happens). In this case, these people ARE going to shoot up either way. It’s just a matter of clean needle vs. dirty needle. If they are going to spread HIV or Hep-C while doing it (which is the public health aspect) If they are going to have access to NARCAN to save their lives should they OD. Etc.

Obviously nobody wants a needle clinic in their backyard, but they make sense wherever there are big problems. While I earlier said it’s a separate issue from “treatment”, apparently participants in these programs are far more likely to also enter a rehab program. Which i suppose makes sense as it’s like opening a door to them. Quite the opposite from encouraging drug use.

Syringe Services Programs | National Institute on Drug Abuse

There is no downside at all that I see, except the NIMBY aspect. Where to locate such a clinic.

 

Great. I'm not saying you are completely wrong. Just don't confiscate my paycheck to fund it.

 

Oh, I thought you identified as a woman.