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Arguments Against Mandatory Drug Testing

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Substance abuse issues have been a part of the public assistance policy discussions for quite some time. Several states proposed drug testing or screening applicants and recipients of public welfare benefits since the federal welfare reform in 1996. With our economy being at such a low standpoint, it is getting harder for individuals to receive public assistance. To make it even harder, recently there has been at least twelve states legislators that have introduced the idea which requires drug testing for people who receive public assistance. These public assistance programs include welfare, unemployment, public housing, and Medicaid. Drug testing for people who receive government assistance has caused quite a public debate. Many people say …show more content…

Many people think that by taking away welfare benefits because of failing a drug test only puts those in need to suffer more poverty. There are plenty of people that bet drug tested in order to maintain a job, but not every single person who is employed undergoes drug testing. For our government to require everyone in a lower socioeconomic class to undergo testing, it could be considered discrimination. To some people this kind of drug testing is unconstitutional, scientifically unsound, fiscally irresponsible, and one more way the “war on drugs” is an unfair war on America’s most vulnerable populations. Mandatory drug testing, whether as a condition of employment or as a requirement for the receipt of public assistance, is an unnecessary intrusion into personal …show more content…

Each individual is given an equal opportunity to succeed, so there should be no reason that people should have to support others financially through extreme tax prices. When society isn’t so reliant on our government taxes will lower. America should be working towards creating a society that is not completely reliant on our government, by drug testing people who receive government assistance could possibly reduce the amount of people that receive welfare if the recipient does not pass the screening. People who believe that everyone who is receiving assistance should be drug tested may be viewed as selfish people. Although, once our economy is stabilized it will slowly start to decrease the national debt, and start to make people realize that everyone should be able to succeed in life, no matter what the circumstances that are presented to

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904 Words | 4 Pages

In Why Drug testing Welfare Recipients Is a Waste of Taxpayer Money, Darlena Cunha works to persuade that drug testing welfare recipients feeds the stereotype stigma towards those asking for the extra assistance and is actually wasting the taxpayer’s money. As soon as the page opens, there is a large image of two gloved hands holding a drug test. The picture is dark and the light is focused on a blue urine test for Cannabis and an Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC). As a result, the image automatically gives the reader a serious and eery tone.

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1814 Words | 8 Pages

Our proposed, alternative policy poses no ethical dilemmas, and in fact is in support of social worker values. Furthermore, it acknowledges that denying benefits for substance abusers is not going to provide the necessary treatment that substance abusers need to get better. It also seeks to address the substance abuse issues from a treatment perspective in order to get to the root of the problem. What Are Your Conclusions About This Analysis and Implications for

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749 Words | 3 Pages

While reading the King essay “I'd Rather Smoke than Kiss” King goes talks about how smoking affected her youth, life today, and even her love life. She also touches on anti-smokers and the role they play in society. While king's essays is a fun to read, it is full of errors and fully emotional based. In this essay King’s main point is that smoking is not bad because she smokes and nothing dreadful has happened to her because of her habit.

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1317 Words | 6 Pages

This goes to show the reason people so strongly want testing is to clarify the well being of the citizens their money is going to so that the money they spend is not wasted. In order to get a job you will most likely have to be drug tested, welfare is set up so you will eventually be able to get a job (“Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients: Pro”). This is to show that the taxpayers want to donate enough money to help recipients get back on their feet. Most jobs even require you to pass a drug test in order to work there. It is important for our community to remain healthy and sound in times of poverty.

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1332 Words | 6 Pages

In Conlon’s article, she adds, “The data from these interviews show that a high school’s decision to adopt random drug testing is a result of a complex interaction among all segments of the school community and the larger community” (Conlon 315). After analyzing a survey

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766 Words | 4 Pages

In order to qualify for assistance, people must be: working for low wages or working part-time, unemployed, receiving welfare or other public assistance payments, elderly, homeless, or disabled with low-income (para 3). “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets the rules for SNAP, but individual states run the program. The USDA also provides all the funding for the actual food benefits, while states are responsible for about half the cost of running the program,” (Cancio para 3). Since the state and the federal governments are paying for this program, people should be screened for drugs to prove they are not breaking the federal law about drug use. Illegal drug use is becoming a big issue in today’s society, therefore, most employers have started drug testing before

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1365 Words | 6 Pages

Opposers claim that making a drug test mandatory for welfare recipients unconstitutional and goes directly against the fourth amendment. The fourth amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “the rights of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated… ,” (Fast). While this is a good argument welfare recipients are not the only ones who have ever had to take a mandatory drug test. Several people in the working class must take a drug test as well as a background check, and this is considered legal. The working class must pass a drug test to make the money that ends up going to welfare.

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1104 Words | 5 Pages

Welfare recipients should not be required to complete a drug test if other people receiving government

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1128 Words | 5 Pages

Why Should Welfare Recipients be Drug Tested Many politicians believe that testing welfare recipients is illegal. Others disagree and push for the act to be passed. Many argue the point that doing the testing is unconstitutional. Some say that will also cost the government lots of money. Others will argue that the testing benefits the government more than it hurts it.

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1502 Words | 7 Pages

Drug testing individuals is not worth the money in the end because most people will not test positive. Most people tend to forget that most people receiving aid also are taxpayers. In 2010, nearly half the poor mother or near poor mothers were at least working part time (Cunha). If the people receiving aid are paying for the drug tests to they would probably rather keep that money then have it be wasted. Drug testing recipients is a waste of money since the government would be wasting more money on giving the tests then they would be

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460 Words | 2 Pages

One of those reasons being, drug testing welfare recipients could waste taxpayer’s money. The government would use tax money to administer drug test (Cunha, par. 3). Many taxpayers do not feel like they are obligated to pay for a person’s drug habit (“Editorial: Drug Testing Welfare Recipients Doesn’t Add Up,” par. 1). In Tennessee, only one person to the 800 who applied for government assistance tested positive for drugs. In Florida, during four months of drug testing , only 2.6 % of welfare recipients tested positive, which was under Florida’s illegal use of 8%, which meant that fewer people using government assistance used drugs.

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1258 Words | 6 Pages

To be handed free money, the government should require a drug test to people

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579 Words | 3 Pages

In Michigan, there was a law created that drug tests should be used in 2003 and it was found unconstitutional. According to American Civil Liberties Union, this point came up in the case of Marchwinski v. Howard this case took place in the U.S Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the policy was deemed unconstitutional. In the United States Constitution, drug testing welfare recipients violate the fourth amendment. Drug testing welfare recipients fall under the category of unreasonable searches. Many welfare recipients can tell their privacy is being striped away from them.

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1053 Words | 5 Pages

There are many factual reasons on why people agree that drug testing welfare people is wrong. “Some who would have to undergo the drug testing are offended by the implication that simply because you are having financial problems

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659 Words | 3 Pages

The first reason why drug testing is good is that it saves money. If drug addicts work in your company they wouldn't work as hard because they are high (ACLU). This shows that everyone should get drug tested to get into a job. If they want the job they should know not to do drugs.

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