Former NYC Police Commissioner Bill Bratton has criticized the city for installing a vending machine that gives out crack pipes and Narcan, an overdose-reversing drug, for free, and claims it encourages drug use.
New York health officials earlier this month unveiled the $11,000 device that was set up in Brownsville, Brooklyn to provide residents with a supply of clean drug paraphernalia.
The vending machine offers devices for smoking drugs, fentanyl test kits, and condoms. There are plans to set up three more vending machines in neighborhoods with a high number of drug addicts.
Former New York City Police Department Chief Bratton criticized the policy decision on Sunday, saying: “The world is upside down.”
He claimed the machine allows people to continue taking drugs instead of stopping them.
Former Police Commissioner Bill Bratton criticized New York City for installing a vending machine that dispenses crack pipes and Narcan, an overdose-reversal drug, for free
Health officials unveiled the $11,000 device, which was set up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, earlier this month
“Rather than trying to discourage people from drugs, we now have policies where we have vending machines to encourage them to continue using drugs,” he told WABC’s The Cats Roundtable.
“We’re going to make it safer for you to use drugs, so you can spend the rest of your life not getting off drugs, but continuing to use drugs.”
Bratton claimed it would encourage people to switch to harder drugs.
He added, “What happens if you keep doing drugs?” You want the next high. They switch from marijuana to heroin. … That’s the problem with addiction.
“There are never enough drugs, there are never enough drugs.”
‘City by city. State by state: This idea that we’re perpetuating your drug addiction instead of trying to get you off your drug habit.’
The former police commissioner, who served two terms in office, also sought to legalize recreational marijuana use in New York. He said it was a mistake and claimed it encourages schoolchildren to smoke.
“I’ve just been on vacation to Italy for two weeks… I haven’t smelled marijuana in two weeks… boom! As soon as you get back [New York]”It hits you right in the face,” he added.
Bratton believes officials allowed the illegal sale of marijuana to get out of hand.
“They created a climate where anything is possible,” he said.
“The only positive thing about the red plume we had last week is that we didn’t smell any marijuana,” he said, referring to the thick smoke in the sky caused by the Canadian wildfires.
“Kids aged 12, 13, 14, 15 can achieve it.” [marijuana]. It’s so readily available. If we sell it illegally in 1,200 stores across the city, do you think they won’t care who comes in to buy it?
“They don’t check for IDs. It’s a cash deal. The city has completely lost control of it. The state has lost control of it.”
A safer smoking kit that includes a heavy stem, mouthpiece, pusher, 6 screens, working filter and lip balm for people who want to smoke crack
First aid kits with Narcan and nasal spray are also offered free of charge
It offers drug-smoking devices, fentanyl testing kits, and condoms, and plans to set up three more in neighborhoods where drug abuse is high
Recently, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state legislature passed legislation increasing penalties for illegal sellers.
Bratton criticized New York’s move, saying, “This was a system created by political leadership.”
“Our systems are stressed to the breaking point.” [and] in some cases they have broken. And the only way to solve them effectively is through political leadership.”
When the vending machine was installed, City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said it would help New Yorkers stay safer.
“We are in the midst of an overdose crisis in our city, which is taking away another New Yorker every three hours and is a major cause of the declining life expectancy in New York City,” he said at the time of the reveal.
“But we will continue to fight to keep our neighbors and loved ones alive with care, compassion and action.”
“We will leave no stone unturned until we reverse the trend in opioid-related deaths in our city.”
The Brownsville machine was empty less than 24 hours after officials’ revelation and was quickly refilled the next day.
City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said the vending machines filled with drug paraphernalia would help New Yorkers stay safer
Local Minoshi Caple, 56, endorses the machine. She is shown getting her free fentanyl test kit. “People just want to get high, they don’t want to die.” We need this!’ she said
The words “bad choices” were written on the pavement right in front of the machine the day after it was installed.
A disgruntled resident who could see the vending machine from her bedroom window complained that it should be placed in the lobby of one of the resource buildings and not on the street.
She also said it could pose a hazard to passing children, who might think the drug paraphernalia machine was filled with candy.
To access the content of the machine, residents simply need to enter the correct zip code. They then have free access to the strips, Narcan, condoms, tampons, nicotine gum, first aid and safer smoking kits, sanitary napkins, vitamin C and COVID-19 tests.