NYC councilman torches health department ad 'empowering' drug use: 'Absolutely backwards'
Posters on New York City subway cars urge riders to feel 'empowered' by using drugs like heroin and fentanyl safely
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York City Councilman Joe Borelli scolded the city's health department Tuesday for describing "safe" drug use as "empowering" in a new ad spotted on New York City subway cars.
The poster published by the NYC Department of Health tells riders "Don't be ashamed you are using, be empowered that you are using safely," as part of an apparent overdose prevention effort. The ad also urges riders to use drugs in groups and to test drugs for fentanyl.
Borelli said the ad emphasizes the "absolutely backward" priorities of NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is someone that still puts masks on the toddlers, still makes student-athletes not play sports if they are not vaccinated, all this because of a risk," he told "America Reports." "And yet, here we are urging people who want to use heroin or potentially would use meth or crack or anything to go slow, take turns, start small, you are ‘empowered.’ This is the absolute wrong message in a city where drug use is on the rise, drug overdoses are on the rise," Borelli said, "and we’re doing exactly the opposite of what we should be doing."
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NYC health department's latest ad in subway cars describes"safe" drug use as "empowering." (Steven Hirsch -- Fox News Digital)
The opioid crisis, which has torn through rural states and into cities, has been compounded by the increased presence of fentanyl mixed into illegal drugs.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Borelli said that while he does support putting harm reduction policies in place to prevent overdoses by current users, using words like "empowered" to describe drug use on the subway, which thousands of teenagers ride every day, is a misguided course of action.
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"We should be putting our focus on recovery and addiction counseling, we should be putting our focus on cutting off fentanyl at our border. We should be focusing on prosecuting drug dealers," he said. "All those things we have kind of abandoned and lost our way from."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.