Posted by President Joe Biden approved a $30 million federal grant program aimed at reducing the health risks associated with drug use earlier this week. The plan allegedly included free crack pipes for any American who wanted one. But as it turns out, that wasn’t exactly true.
The confusion stemmed from a recent Washington Free Beacon article that cited an anonymous spokesman from the Department of Health and Human Services who said the Biden-Harris administration “will provide pipes for users to smoke crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and ‘any illicit substance.’”
Biden is sending free meth & crack pipes to minority communities in the name of ‘racial equity’
There is no end in sight for this lunacy https://t.co/RLv6cAuLCt pic.twitter.com/WdlzOojkdF
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 8, 2022
According to USA Today, some of the money from the Biden-Harris administration’s grant program will be allotted for supplies such as sterile syringes and “safe smoking kits,” but distributing or funding crack pipes aren’t included. Both the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services have confirmed crack pipes were never part of the plan.
As Sarah Lovenheim, the agency’s assistant secretary for public affairs, said in an email, “The Biden-Harris administration has never authorized the use of federal funding for smoke pipes and will not in the future.”
On Friday (February 11), Questlove copped to falling for the lie on Twitter with, “so the crack pipe rumor was a lie that we all believed huh?”
so the crack pipe rumor was a lie that we all believed huh?
— ahmir•quest• 5 letters only (@questlove) February 11, 2022
50 Cent was among the many who also believed the claim after Republican politicians such as Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio perpetuated the Washing Free Beacon story all across social media.
Conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza also further pushed the narrative with, “The Biden plan to provide $30 million in crack pipes to the Black community is an apt metaphor for the relationship between the Black underclass and the Democratic Party.”
The Biden plan to provide $30 million in crack pipes to the black community is an apt metaphor for the relationship between the black underclass and the Democratic Party
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) February 9, 2022
In a since-deleted Instagram post, 50 Cent questioned Biden’s alleged plan.
“OK, I don’t understand what’s going on now,” 50 Cent wrote alongside a headline from The Daily Mail. “Let’s just give them some crack everybody loves CRACK. SMH.”
As the public outcry continued, White House press secretary Jen Psaki vehemently denied free crack pipes would be given out like lollipops at the doctor’s office.
50 Cent Reacts To President Joe Biden’s $30M Free Crack Pipe Distribution Plan
“(Crack pipes) were never a part of the kit; it was inaccurate reporting,” Psaki said during a press briefing. “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.”
Additionally, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and the Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Dr. Rahul Gupta released a statement on February 9 dispelling the misleading reports. Read it below.
.@SecBecerra and @DrGupta46 released a statement in response to misinformation about harm reduction grant program dollars. Read the statement: https://t.co/3TWgiuDgJu
— HHS.gov (@HHSGov) February 9, 2022