Is the Biden Administration Using Taxpayer Money to Distribute Clean Crack Pipes?

Will a federal "harm reduction" grant program from the Department of Health and Human Services involve distributing clean pipes to people who use drugs?

The HHS grant program says it's intended to "support community-based overdose prevention programs, syringe services programs, and other harm reduction services," including by distributing "safe smoking kits/supplies." A report from the Washington Free Beacon (Right bias) quoted an anonymous HHS spokesman who said the kits will "provide pipes for users to smoke crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and 'any illicit substance.'" The White House denied that the kits will include pipes, and said they'll instead include materials such as lip balm, clean syringes and alcohol swabs. Some Republican lawmakers, such as Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Marco Rubio (Fl.), accused the Biden administration of using taxpayer money to enable illegal drug users.

Right-rated outlets highlighted the news prominently, and tended to focus on the Free Beacon report and frame it as fact. Some left-rated outlets painted the Free Beacon's report as false based on the White House's denial and a lack of confirmation from HHS, and framed Republican criticism of the program as unjustified. Reports across the spectrum mention how though the HHS grant program doesn't specifically mention the inclusion of pipes for smoking, such materials can be part of safe smoking kits and have been in some cities where similar programs have been used.