Should Drug Testing Welfare Recipients Essay - 1707 Words

The use of drugs is an immense problem in today’s society. The big question is, is it a problem within the welfare system? Drug use isn’t just a problem of poverty; it’s found among all groups and classes. As said in Jamelle Bouies article, The Myth of Drug Use and Welfare, â€Å"The myth of welfare recipients spending their benefits on drugs is just that—a myth. And indeed, in Utah, only 12 people out of 466—or 2.5 percent—showed evidence of drug use after a mandatory screening.† Drug testing welfare recipients is something many people have different views on. It can cause controversy; some people think we should drug test welfare recipients while others disagree. Drug testing welfare recipients has many negative outcomes that would come along with it. We should be more focused on trying to get the people back on their feet rather than finding more problems to implicate them with. Mandatory drug testing for welfare benefits is unfair and immoral and it should not happen within the welfare system. It is unconstitutional, it will cost more money than it will save us, and we should be treating drug addiction and abuse as a disease. Substance abuse issues have long been part of public assistance policy discussions. States have proposed drug testing of applicants and recipients of welfare benefits since federal welfare reform in 1996. In more recent years, almost all states have proposed some form of drug testing for applicants of welfare. The likelihood that drug testing wouldShow MoreRelatedShould Drug Testing Welfare Recipients?1679 Words   |  7 Pageswho test positive for drugs should be able to receive welfare. It was an argument that flooded social media, arguments filling comments with opinions. It is a subject that continues to be discussed within our peer groups, our communities, and our states. This paper will discuss the opinions of individual’s within the country, the beneficial factors of drug testing welfare recipients as well as the unbeneficial factors, as well as who decides if drug testing welfare recipients goes into effect or notRead MoreDrug Testing Welfare Recipients Should Not B e Drug Tested911 Words   |  4 PagesDrug Testing Welfare Recipients To test or not to test has been has been the question at hand for many states that are dealing with whether or not to pass the law that welfare recipients should or should not be drug tested in order to receive assistance from the government. Florida was the first state to mandate the law in 2011 and thereafter twenty four other states in the last year have also passed this law with our own state of Oklahoma being one of them. Although alcohol is legal it is abusedRead MoreGovernment Should Not Drug Testing Welfare Recipients3447 Words   |  14 Pages Public welfare is the term which stands for the variety of tax-supported programs that provide cash assistance or services to residents who are not able to financially take care of themselves (Hansan, 2011). This program was started in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. There are several types of welfare including health care, food stamps, child care assistance, cash aid, and housing assistance. Medicaid is considered to b e one of the welfare programs; it is a medical care that provides cashRead MoreTexas Should Adopt Drug Testing Policy For Welfare Recipients996 Words   |  4 PagesThis proposal points out how Texas should adopt drug testing policy for welfare recipients. We researched the state of Oklahoma, its efforts to improve its well-being, the decreased amount of welfare recipients received while increasing employment and the welfare program abilities. Texas is currently reopening this Bill and reconsidering this proposal for drug testing all welfare recipients. This will allow all of Texas welfare recipient’s access to different programs for personal improvement, jobRead MoreDrug Testing : A Controversial Issue Right Now1439 Words   |  6 PagesRUNNING HEAD: Mandatorily Drug Testing Welfare Recipients Does More Harm Than Good Mandatorily Drug Testing Welfare Recipients Does More Harm Than Good Clare M. Pitlik Marist High School Author Note First paragraph: Introduction to history of drug testing welfare recipients Second paragraph: Explains why drug testing welfare recipients is unconstitutional Third paragraph: Explains why drug testing welfare recipients is costly Fourth paragraph: Rebuttals Fifth paragraph:Read MoreWelfare Drug Testing Essay1383 Words   |  6 PagesWelfare Drug Testing Trevor Brooks, SOC 110 11/09/2011 In today’s America, government aid is highly depended on. The US government has spent $498 billion dollars this year on welfare alone. The state of Tennessee has an average of 250,000 residents on welfare and has $3 billion dollars this year alone. To help cut costs and help tax payers, 36 states, including Tennessee, have proposed a bill to drug test all welfare recipients. Since the beginning of the year, the welfare rateRead MoreMandatory Drug Testing Should Be Banned1365 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Mandatory drug testing has been and ongoing controversial issue over the most recent years. Mandatory drug testing has been subjected to students, athletes, and employees all over the country. However a lot of speculation has been made whether or not welfare recipients in particular should be subjected to mandatory drug testing. According to Besonen, programs such as welfare were created in the 1930s to temporarily aid struggling Americans to help get them back up on their feet. (BesonenRead MoreThe Welfare Recipients Should Not Be Drug Tested907 Words   |  4 Pagesstates that are dealing with whether or not to pass the law that welfare recipients should or should not be drug tested in order to receive assistance from the government. Florida was the first state to mandate the law in 2011 and thereafter twenty four other states in the last year have also passed this law with our own state of Oklahoma being one of them. Although alcohol is legal it is abused far more than marijuan a or hard core drugs, According to the 1996 study by the National Institute of AlcoholRead MoreWelfare Drug Testing Should Not Be Allowed1416 Words   |  6 PagesAmericans on welfare, and the U.S spending over 131 billion on welfare annually, not including food stamps. People have been looking for a way to cut the costs of welfare for many years. And then Welfare drug testing was proposed. At initial thought it seemed like a grand idea and a great way to cut costs and to eliminate all the drug users in the system, and because of that welfare drug testing has been put into action in 13 states. But, welfare drug testing is completely ineffective. Welfare drug testingRead MoreDrug Testing the Less Fortunate 1023 Words   |  4 PagesShould drug testing be a necessity for all state and federal aid programs? Drug testing welfare recipients have been a major issue across the United States for a few years now. Many indicate that if working class people are subject to a test prior to h ire or randomly during the duration of employment, why should those that don’t have to work for money not have the same treatment? The government estimated that random annual drug testing for welfare recipients would cost each taxpayer an additional