NY tenant paradise? Free crack pipes?

New York City installed a vending machine that dispenses free crack pipes, fentanyl test strips, Narcan (an overdose reversal drug) and condoms. Public health officials unveiled the machine on Monday in Brooklyn at 1676 Broadway, ABC7 New York reported. Less than 24 hours after its installation the machine was empty, according to the New York Post.

(Tenants) ... must simply enter their zip codes to get access . . .

I am a bitter person and I admit it.

For the longest time I hated the fact that Narcan was a thing. Not to get into the mix of it all, I just figured if they do the drug they take the chance. Have talked to medics on ambulances in bigger cities who have administered it to the same person more than once.

Anyhow my thoughts all changed when I watched the badge cam footage of an officer who came into contact with fentanyl. It was pretty eye opening.

Isn't Narcan an expensive drug? Giving it free to anyone who walks up, whether they need it or not, seems pretty inefficient. Machine empty in 24 hours? So the stuff still isn't there if someone needs it.

I would like to get some Narcan to put in the emergency bag that I carry in my truck. I do not deal with the typical opioid crowd, but I guess anything can happen.

The last cleaning lady I had was wiping off a medicine cabinet and pushed an open, used syringe off onto the floor. I had booted the tenant because she moved her ex into the place and he had warrants for drug cases. Guess we know it was legit.

Had she come into physical contact and gotten a hit I could have helped, maybe.

Guess I need to look into this more.

Ken,

That's a long haul for me to get freebies.

Yesterday I chatted with a friend of mine on a pretty big police force about the effects of skin contact with fentanyl.

He was not overly concerned. Said it was more psychosomatic. I did a little research and seems he is right.

What offends me is that Narcan is free, while insulin costs an arm and a leg. Why not free insulin dispensers around the city?

If you require Narcan it is typically because you have made the choice to use drugs.

Insulin is not a choice, it is life or death.

There are lots of people who would support that free insulin too, but certain people aren't into free healthcare...

The reason "some people aren't into free healthcare" is because we know there is no such thing as free healthcare. Someone always pays. The only questions are who pays how much and for whom?

So the point of the post about insulin could be more specifically and non-politically stated like this: "If we're going to use taxpayer funds to purchase drugs for public use, why do addicts who had the option of not becoming addicts get preference over folks who are born with genetic problems over which they have limited control?"

That's a conversation worth having.

Yes, of course. We all know there is no such thing as "free healthcare." I should have figured someone would jump on that. It really wasn't the point.

I should have said: "There are lots of people who would support that free insulin too, but certain people aren't into a decentralized, universal, publicly funded health system that allows citizens and permanent residents to receive medically necessary hospital and physician services free at the point of use -- similar to what is used in almost all of the rest of the 1st world countries."

But that just wasn't as fast to type. Sheesh.

Also, if we're being picky... Your question is a bit manipulative too, of course. Mentioning that addicts apparently had a choice about being addicted (yes, they had a choice to start, but lots of people make mistakes), but then ignoring the number of people who need diabetes in this country because their favorite health food is a donut.

I'm not necessarily defending drug addicts. I was responding to someone saying "why not insulin??" -- to which the answer is because a certain party doesn't want that to happen.

That being said, I'm also not a person to go "Well, they got themselves addicted, so just let them die." So, I guess I'm "defending" them a little bit by having that attitude.

I know some very good people who have succumbed to drug use. So I know they are not "bad" people. They, like most of us, are people who deserve second chances in life. So, I guess that is why I "defend drug addicts" to some degree. Not all drug addicts are bad people that we should ignore and just let die.