Dear NYC Drug-Use Initiative

via New York Times:

A New York City-funded guidebook for heroin users offers information on how to prepare drugs carefully and care for veins to avoid infection.

The state's top official with the Drug Enforcement Administration calls the ''Take Charge Take Care'' guide a ''step-by-step instruction on how to inject a poison.'' DEA special agent-in-charge John Gilbride says the handout is disturbing. The city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene printed about 70,000 copies.

A health official says the goal is to promote health and save lives. Assistant Commissioner Daliah Heller says instructions on how to perform injections were included because there's ''a less harmful way to inject.''

Sadly, his is what NYC heads are paying taxes for. Since when is teaching people how to use a needle for drug purposes safely promoting safety at all? NYC, you've always had a stigma as being a haven for drugs (let's not get into the definition of drugs). Whether it's the trademark weed spots at bodegas or underground ecstasy raves, your underground drug culture has never been a secret. In fact, many people have tried to bring this culture to the forefront, especially when dealing with marijuana. That said, you don't have to inject weed, as well as weed being linked to decriminalization both in the city, and nationwide.

Therein lies the problem, NYC. Heroin use has always been one of the most heralded drugs of mortality (that means people die from it, a lot), and of transmitting diseases. The latter of the two is what you are trying to discourage through this program. To that, I have one question: Why not just try and deter the use of heroin altogether?? Since when has the 'safe' use of a hard drug overshadowed the use of the drug?? I'm not sitting here downplaying the fact that drug use increases one's chance for disease. I'm simply stating that there are better ways to keep people from catching the germ. Maybe instead of trying to teach people how to use drugs in a safer way, you should be teaching people NOT to use drugs. Trust me, I've seen enough junkies and addicts in my day (a relatively short period) to know that they don't give two flying shits about how they shoot up. Regardless of whether the needle was fresh from the hospital, or they found it in a pile of shit, they're going to shoot up. Why not kill two birds with one stone and eradicate heroin use? You could probably use the same forum (flyers) and do society one less evil, NYC. Lord knows, if your pamphlet is the last one a junkie reads, why not have one trying to help, not enable him?