THIS NYC AD BLITZ IS DOPEY
DOH push aims to ‘empower’ junkies
They have no shame. The city Department of Health is urging junkies not to feel embarrassed about abusing opioids and is even offering tips on how to use one of the deadliest and most addictive drugs on the planet. In its Let’s Talk Fentanyl ad campaign, the agency tells users they should feel empowered when they safely consume the drug — which, according to one analysis, became the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 45 in 2020. “Don’t be ashamed you are using, be empowered that you are using safely,” a woman identified as Florence from Manhattan is quoted as saying in one of the ad posters that has appeared citywide on trains and buses. In another, Victor from Harlem says, “Even if you are going for a night out to just do cocaine, there is a possibility that fentanyl could end up in your drug supply.” Barbara Blair, head of the Garment District Alliance, which is grappling with an increased presence of drug addicts in the neighborhood, was aghast at the messaging. “Why don’t we just start handing out drugs like they are condoms?” Blair said. “Are we literally telling people how they can consume illegal drugs?” The ads advise that in order to prevent an overdose “avoid using alone and take turns” and “start with a small dose and go slowly.” They also suggest having naloxone, an opioid antidote, on hand to combat an overdose, and using fentanyl test strips. The strips can detect the presence of fentanyl, which is often mixed in with heroin and cocaine.
Florida’s Department of Health has criticized the message from its New York City counterpart.
“This ain’t it, @nycHealthy,” the agency tweeted Friday, with a photo of one of the posters.
The campaign, which made a limited debut in December, was relaunched on May 9 with a broader distribution, according to New York City’s DOH, which did not respond to questions about its cost.
‘It’s just bizarre’
Councilman Joe Borelli (R-SI) took to Twitter to ask Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the DOH commissioner, if he approved the campaign.
“It’s incredible that our commissioner thinks that putting useless cloth masks on toddlers is mitigating a real danger, but when it comes to heroin, it’s all, ‘Take turns you guys,’ and, ‘Use safely, smartly.’ It’s just bizarre,” Borelli told The Post. “He seems like an ass.”
Borelli said he also wrote to the MTA on Friday asking it to remove the ads.
An MTA spokesman said the ads appeared to meet the transit authority’s guidelines “but we understand the concern.”
“We will work with the city’s Department of Health to review language on any future messaging for the subways,” he said.
The DOH launched a fentanyl awareness campaign in 2019, but the message included a warning, “The best way to avoid an overdose is not to use drugs.” It defended the latest initiative. “Shame pushes people underground,” said DOH spokesman Patrick Gallahue. “Shame drives people away from services. Shame puts people at even greater risk . . . We want to fight shame and stigma. We want people to live.”