The City of New York spent $32,000 on 70,000 16-page fliers showing how to safely inject street drugs. If this campaign saves one life, it's a bargain. The experts that the NY Post selected to be quoted in its article don't seem to agree, however. Most favor the abstinence-only approach.
"What we do not want to do is suggest that there's anything safe about shooting up narcotics," said [Bridget] Brennan, the city's special narcotics prosecutor. "No matter how many times you wash your hands or how clean the needle is, it's still poison that you're putting in your veins."
In other words, make drug use as dirty, dangerous, and illegal as possible.
UPDATE: Boing Boing reader haineux posted the link to a PDF of the pamphlet. Haineux wrote:
For those that can't read it, the pamphlet includes:
• Pointers to resources and other info for quitting
• Commonsense info to avoid ODing
• What to do if someone ODs
• How to avoid getting AIDS and Hepatitis
• Commonsense info to avoid other problems
It does not contain step by step instructions on how to use drugs, and the accompanying drawings are unlikely to be confused with glamorizing the lifestyle.
