The city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene spent $32,000 of tax money on 70,000 copies that offer information on how to prepare drugs carefully and care for veins to avoid infection.

"This is a tremendous misuse of city funds, and I'm going to see what I can do to stop it," Democratic New York City Council member Peter Vallone Jr. told the New York Post. "It's sick."

And, it's not just taxpayers who are angry.

The state's top official with the Drug Enforcement Administration calls the "Take Charge Take Care" guide a "step-by-step instruction on how to inject a poison."

DEA special agent-in-charge John Gilbride says the handout is disturbing.

"It concerns me that the city would produce a how-to on using drugs," Gilbride told the Post. "Heroin is extremely potent. You may only get the chance to use it once. To suggest there is a method of using that alleviates the dangers, that's very disturbing."

The 16-page booklet features seven comics-like illustrations and offers such advice as "Warm your body (jump up and down) to show your veins," and "Find the vein before you try to inject."

A health official says the goal is to promote health and save lives. Assistant Commissioner Daliah Heller says instructions on how to perform injections were included because there's "a less harmful way to inject."

The illustrated guidebook offers information on HIV testing and the dangers of sharing needles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WOuld you prefer they develop septicemia and run up half-million dollar hospital bills that you have to pay for instead?

What about in the real world DFK! You don't get Ideal this side of the pearly gate.

I don't see any real likelyhood that this pamphlet will seriously produce any benefit. Yes, it might encourage someone to get help, or to take a precaution that might protect them from illness or death. It also might be used by a drug dealer to convince someone who otherwise would not have tried heroin that it's perfectly safe. "See? Just follow these steps and you'll be ok! Even the government says so!"

I don't see any real likelyhood that this pamphlet will seriously produce any benefit. Yes, it might encourage someone to get help, or to take a precaution that might protect them from illness or death. It also might be used by a drug dealer to convince someone who otherwise would not have tried heroin that it's perfectly safe. "See? Just follow these steps and you'll be ok! Even the government says so!"

I not only read what he posted, but I actually comprehended it too.

If perhaps DE had read and understood Michael's post, he'd have caught the part where pamphlets like this actually SAVE tax payer dollars.

Most normal people would call that a "benefit".

You are taking that they do save money for granted as a given.

DE brought up some good points - it could be considered de-facto government sanctioning for intravenous drug use.

Actually, I'm trusting that Michael knows what he's talking about as I both respect his integrity and his claim of working in this field.

I supose you could make that argument, although I would need to actually see the pamphlet myself to decide. I seriously doubt that some government pamphlet is going to convince someone that doing drugs is safe and good.

I'd prefer we didn't have a society that forced me to pay for their life choices, if we're talking about ideal situations.

Education is always a good thing.