Senators Sending Letter about Paraphernalia

(Washington, DC) Missouri United States Senator Roy Blunt, along with Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, all of whom serve on the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, are sending a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra seeking answers regarding HHS's recent funding opportunity announcement that could open the door for taxpayer dollars to be used to purchase and distribute drug paraphernalia, such as pipes for using crack cocaine or crystal meth. The letter reads "On February 7, 2022, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration closed a Notice of Funding Opportunity for nearly $30 million," the senators wrote. "The Notice specifically allows grantees to purchase and provide 'smoking kits,supplies, and syringes.' According to harm reduction organizations Toward the Heart and Interior Health, smoking kits may include 'glass stem and Meth pipes.' These organizations state that these supplies are used to 'smoke crack' and 'use crystal meth.' While some smoking kits may not include this paraphernalia, the SAMHSA Notice of Funding Opportunity does not include specific prohibitions against their inclusion."
The senators note that, for 30 years, Congress has explicitly prohibited federal funds from being used to purchase needles or syringes for injection of any illegal drug.