Senators Manchin and Rubio Introduce Bill to Block Government from Supplying Crack Pipes (NOT SATIRE)

Last week, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia and Republican ​Senator Marco Rubio from Florida, introduced bipartisan legislation called Preventing Illicit Paraphernalia for Exchange Systems (PIPES) Act, which would prohibit federal tax dollars from going toward “crack pipes” and other drug related paraphernalia, according to The Hill.

“Every American and West Virginian has been impacted by the drug epidemic that has killed over 101,000 Americans from April 2002 to April 2021,” Senator Manchin said in a statement, according to The Hill. “While this is a heartbreaking issue that must be fully addressed by the federal government, using taxpayer funds to buy paraphernalia for those struggling with substance use disorder is not the solution.”

Also voicing his concern was Senator Rubio saying, “Everyone knows someone who has struggled with addiction, and unfortunately, many have lost a loved one from the disease. Addiction is crippling, not only for the individual, but also for the family and communities throughout our country. We need to do more, but sending drug paraphernalia to addicts is not the answer.”

The PIPES Act would maintain the precedent which prohibits federal funding from purchasing needles or syringes for the purpose of injecting illegal drugs, and is spelled out in the bill. The only exception would be where there was a risk of hepatitis infection or HIV outbreak as a result of the drug use.

The Hill also reported that the legislation makes clear that federal funds prohibit procuring, supplying or distributing pipe and other paraphernalia that someone can use to smoke, ingest or inhale narcotics.

This bill was introduced after the Biden Administration created controversy last Monday when the Department of Health and Human Services announced it would be using grants to fund the distribution of crack pipes to drug addicts.

Julio Cahn

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