Crack Pipe Fact Checks Were False

Earlier this year reports surfaced that President Biden was providing grants to NGOs to distribute ‘safe smoking kits’ in predominantly Black communities that included crack pipes. The reports prompted discussion on social media about whether or not funding drug paraphernalia distribution in poor and minority communities was detrimental. The discussions were cut short by the industrial fact-check complex that immediately labeled any discussion of crack pipe distribution ‘misinformation’ explaining that the Biden administration’s program did not fund organizations distributing crack pipes. Their rulings were then used by Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to suppress and censor discussions about the issue ending all meaningful debate. There are reasonable arguments for and against distributing crack pipes to addicts but Americans weren’t allowed to hear them before taxpayer funds were used to distribute them.

Once federal funding began flowing into the various ‘harm-reduction’ organizations distributing ‘safe smoking kits’ that we were assured would not contain crack pipes Patrick Hauf, a journalist from the Washington Free Beacon decided to investigate. Just four months after Americans were accused of spreading misinformation and prevented from discussing the wisdom of distributing crack pipes to addicts Hauf and his team picked up ‘safe smoking kits’ from organizations in Boston, New York City, Washington DC, Baltimore, and Richmond - each included crack pipes.1

To date, Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services has refused to release the names of the organizations distributing ‘safe smoking kits’ that applied and/or received funding from the administration (rumor has it their names will be released on May 15th).2 At the end of the day, ‘harm-reduction’ organizations ARE distributing ‘safe smoking kits’ that include crack pipes and it is a topic worthy of a healthy debate - a debate that is STILL not being allowed (or at least heavily suppressed) on social media here in the United States. Will the fact-checkers retract their false claims?

FWIW: Despite cover provided by fact-check organizations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced that the ‘safe smoking kits’ would no longer include crack pipes. As a result, Senator Cotton demanded clarification of HSS policy.3 Did the discussion cause the administration to reverse course? Were the fact checks wrong? Was the policy reversed? Again, we’re not allowed to discuss the issue…

A few of the crack pipe fact-checks that were used to suppress and censor discussion about drug policy in the United States:

Fact Check: Biden Initiative Funds Drug Overdose Prevention, Not ‘Crack Pipes’
Source: FactCheck.Org
Author: Brea Jones, NABJ/Facebook Fact-Checking Fellow

Fact Check: Biden admin isn't funding crack pipes
Source: CNN Politics
Author: Tara Subramaniam, Writer & Researcher for CNN's Fact-Check Team

Fact Check: U.S. government officials did not say crack pipes would be distributed in safer drug kits
Source: Reuters Fact Check

Fact Check: No, the Biden administration is not funding the distribution of crack pipes
Source: ABC
Author: Megan Loe, ABC Verify Fact-Check Team

Fact Check: MOSTLY FALSE: The Biden administration “is spending $30 million on crack pipes.”
Source: Politifact
Author: Louis Jacobson & Samantha Putterman, Staff Writers