HHS Sec. Becerra says crack pipes won't be distributed using federal funds in smoking kits

The Health and Human Services (HHS) Department will not use federal money to provide crack pipes to vulnerable communities, the Biden administration indicated on Wednesday.

In a press release, Becerra and Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta said the administration was "focused on using our resources smartly to reduce harm and save lives. Accordingly, no federal funding will be used directly or through subsequent reimbursement of grantees to put pipes in safe smoking kits."

Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra answers questions at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Sept. 30, 2021. 

The statement comes amid a media firestorm and congressional scrutiny over smoking kits that would reportedly include crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia. Initially reported by the Washington Free Beacon, HHS sought to fund the distribution of those kits while placing an emphasis on underserved communities. 

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday the reporting was inaccurate and that crack pipes were never part of the smoking kits. The Free Beacon claimed, however, to have spoken with a HHS spokesman who confirmed that crack pipes and other paraphernalia would be part of the kits.