Why Do We Give Out Brillo

     During our Sunday needle exchange we hang a sign out front that reads "Free Brillo". It attracts attention sometimes negative. Several people walked by and made comments such as "that's messed up". A neighbor even came into complain but as usual ended up hanging out getting to know us heard what we had to say and changed his tune. We give out brillo because when crack is smoked through a glass pipe the impurities and filler used to make crack burns up and collects in the copper brillo used to hold the crack as it is being vaporized.  After a short number of uses the pipe becomes clogged unless the brillo is cleaned or replaced. When the pipe is clogged people tend to inhale harder and harder to get a hit. They also tend to overheat the pipe at this point and this is when a red hot ball of copper can loosen in the pipe and severely burn a persons mouth or the back of their throat. Fresh brillo is not always easy to come up with in the city or finding the money to buy it can be tough too. The bottom line is that no one deserves to suffer a terrible injury because they have chosen to use crack cocaine. That's why the San Francisco Drug Users Union gives out free brillo to drug users in the Tenderloin.