A federal grant program aimed at reducing the health risks associated with drug use has become the subject of misinformation online, with social media users and some Republican politicians accusing the White House of distributing free crack pipes to Americans.
The confusion stems from a Feb. 7 article published by the Washington Free Beacon. Citing an anonymous spokesman from the Department of Health and Human Services, the conservative news outlet wrote that a program backed by the Biden administration "will provide pipes for users to smoke crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and 'any illicit substance.'"
Republican politicians quickly seized on the claim.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote Feb. 8 on Twitter that President Joe Biden "is sending free meth & crack pipes to minority communities in the name of ‘racial equity.'" In a tweet sharing the Free Beacon article, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote that Biden's crime policy is "crack pipes for all."
By Feb. 9, the claim was a popular talking point across social media platforms.
"The Biden plan to provide $30 million in crack pipes to the black community is an apt metaphor for the relationship between the black underclass and the Democratic Party," Dinesh D'Souza, a conservative commentator, said in posts shared Feb. 9 on Instagram and Twitter.
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