Surely a bubble gum style vending machine and selling them at cost (or quarter or less) would be possible as well?
I think I’m mainly jaded of the government giving away things and the generally negative outcomes it creates sometimes.
It really costs next to nothing, and prevents both teen pregnancies and STDs.
Why do you think they shouldn't be?
> I think I’m mainly jaded of the government giving away things and the generally negative outcomes it creates sometimes.
What are your predicted bad outcomes of more-freely available condoms?
Free for instance means over consumption and waste. Either it will be at the schools discretion, which is bad, or bad actors will take everything resulting in some not having access to a condom until a refill.
Cheap is better than free imho
It must be extraordinarily scary to live with such suspicion and paranoia.
Just blow them up with your breath, tie up the ends and watch people get disgusted as you leave them around.
I mean, yeah, delinquents are gonna be a pain in any case but free anything is just asking for trouble.
You have to walk up to that machine, where others can see you, and purchase it. People talk, maybe your parents find out, etc. I grew up in a super conservative area- the only way I bought condoms was by being the clerk at the gas station and buying it when literally no one was around. Because that was the only way.
But if everyone gets handed them handed out for free, well, there's no stigma because everyone has them.
And the cost to the government is peanuts compared to the cost of all the teenage pregnancies by kids who sure as heck can't afford to raise kids.
The issue with free is it puts no cost to taking more than necessary, so inevitably people will take more than necessary. You can’t realistically stock an infinite amount so the end result is temporary shortages.
Goal: you want all the kids to stay hydrated.
Your options are 1) to have set times when everyone has to lineup to get a water bottle, or 2) have a bunch of water bottles available at all times for anyone to come take when they want.
Option 2 works pretty well since kids know when they are thirsty. (Obviously. Otherwise the kids would all die of thirst under option 1 as well)
A strange phenomenon emerges however when you start with option 1 and then halfway through the summer another counselor attempts to implement option 2. The kids have been preconditioned to expect that they NEED to get a bottle when the bottles are available or they won't have access to water later. It takes some time for the kids to figure out that the waterbottles are now available at all times and they don't need to carry one around all the time "just in case". Till then you have a small riot around the cases of water bottles for a few mornings.
Option 2 distributes the water in a more efficient manner. The kids who spend time playing soccer will take more water than the kids who stay inside playing chess.
This is my own experience as that other counselor. You can work out the analogy, I'm sure.
I (incorrectly) thought that was obvious.