A public health clinic in Morgantown, West Virginia has been providing small glass pipes to drug users for years. The goal of this strategy is to encourage users to consider smoking street drugs as a safer alternative to injecting them, which can lead to infected wounds and the spread of diseases.
Drug users and public health advocates alike believe that smoking fentanyl, the potent opioid responsible for numerous overdose deaths, may reduce the risk of a fatal overdose compared to injecting the drug. Scott, a user who visits the clinic for supplies, has switched to smoking fentanyl more often than using needles because injections caused his hands to swell and damaged his veins. He shared that he had overdosed twice when injecting fentanyl but had never experienced an overdose while smoking it.
Overall, providing drug users with glass pipes for smoking street drugs is seen as a harm reduction strategy to mitigate the risks associated with injecting drugs. By offering this option, the clinic aims to protect individuals from fatal overdoses and the spread of diseases, ultimately promoting safer drug use practices among the community.
