News Rantz: Portland ‘snorting kits’ is the latest way to kill drug addicts

[RUC4]

Rantz: Portland ‘snorting kits’ is the latest way to kill drug addicts​

MyNorthwest.com
By: Jason Rantz
11 July 2023

Excerpts:

Portland homeless drug addicts are being enabled with “snorting kits,” which allow them to snort drugs rather than use needles. It’s part of a so-called “harm reduction” strategy that encourages drug addiction.

The plan is to provide addicts with tools that cuts down on potentially harmful bacteria through sharing or reusing certain drug paraphernalia. Snorting kits typically include straws, plastic razors and something to use as flat surfaces to making snorting drugs easier to accomplish. Additionally, Multnomah County Health hands out tin foil for users to use while smoking fentanyl,

Advocates of this approach argue it’s a way to push addicts away from dangerous intravenous drug use, where blood borne illness can more easily spread.

The City of Seattle has been funding supplies for fentanyl and other drug addicts without any attempt to push treatment. During a May council committee hearing, Seattle City Councilwoman Sara Nelson questioned a group of public health workers that the city funds to tackle the fentanyl crisis. But as the fatal overdoses soar to historic highs, the city (and King County) acknowledged treatment is not a goal.

“…People come in, they get safer smoking supplies,” she continued. “They don’t have to inject if they’re smoking. Our friends at People’s Harm Reduction Alliance invented a whole new pipe so that people could smoke and not inject, which is proven to be safer method of using drugs. So, I mean, abstinence is great if that’s something that you have planned for you. But sometimes people are just going to use drugs and it’s not going to lead to abstinence. And I think our mission and I think what we’ve been able to do really successfully with this program is to show that people can use drugs safely.”

 

[Mr. Krinkle]

i like Rantz - he's the much needed "other viewpoint"

 

[RUC4]

i like Rantz - he's the much needed "other viewpoint"

Agreed. It's always a good read.