New York City’s top narcotics prosecutor says a Health Department pamphlet that teaches heroin addicts how to shoot up safely is wrongheaded because there is no safe way to inject heroin.
Bridget Brennan said Tuesday that the pamphlet sends the wrong message. She believes it normalizes intravenous drug use.
Brennan says there is a glut of heroin on the market right now, and heroin use is increasing among young people.
Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg defended the handbook because, he said, while no one should use hard drugs, the city has an obligation to diminish the risks for those who do.
"It's certainly not in the interest of society to have you get HIV/AIDS," he said.
The pamphlet is being criticized as a heroin "how-to," as the 16-page booklet features seven comics-like illustrations and offers dope fiends such useful advice as "Warm your body (jump up and down) to show your veins," and "Find the vein before you try to inject."
It even encourages addicts to keep jabbing if their needles miss the mark.
"If you don't 'register,' pull out and try again," it says.
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