NYC Offers Junkies Guide to Successfully Shooting Up

Meredith Jessup | January 04, 2010 10:50 PM

The award for today's most absurd use of taxpayer dollars has to be given to the city of New York for offering how-to guides for heroin addicts, via The Smoking Gun

Nobody can say that Mayor Michael Bloomberg isn't a friend to New York City junkies. The Bloomberg administration is distributing a 16-page brochure offering heroin users 10 handy tips when it comes to shooting up. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene publication is titled "Take Charge, Take Care," and offers advice on avoiding overdose, preparing your drugs, and taking care of veins in which you inject those illegal narcotics. The brochure, excerpted on the following pages, has been criticized by law enforcement agencies as a primer for addicts. The Bloomberg administration has defended the guide, contending that it would help save lives via the safety tips offered.

If you're an intrigued junkie or a disgusted taxpayer, click here to view excerpts from the guide.