The Influence Of Drugs On Welfare

In his article, “Should Recipients Be Tested for Drugs?” David Vitter talks about the issue of drug testing people who are on welfare in the US. Vitter believes that annually drug-testing recipients of welfare will stop people from using the money to support their drug habits. He further believes that those who are using drugs and test positive as a result can then get the help that they need.

Although some people do not believe that people should get drugs tested for welfare. There is some people who think that drug testing welfare recipients could lead to efficiency. A survey found that 53% believe all welfare applicants should be drug tested before receiving benefits (Covert and Israel) . Welfares should check client's record. If welfare has a client that had used any type of drug before should be

Waking up at 4:00am is hard to do. Especially if you’re getting paid 8.00 dollars an hour, and have to provide for another 6 people. When it that time of the month, the one you’ve been saving for, all those bills you need to pay. If you’re lucky you could have a couple of dollars saved up. Now you see your neighbors with their 2 daughters getting a 1,500 dollar check, when all they do is lay down in their bedrooms and smoke some type of drug. Wouldn’t it make you angry? When you’re having to wake up at 4:00am and working all day, but your neighbors stay home and do nothing. Even though those on welfare may be exploited, welfare drug testing should be allowed because welfare can be used for helping people and welfare can be used for actual needs.

Should welfare recipients be drug tested? What do you think about this argument? Although some people believe that welfare recipients should not be drug tested because it invades their privacy, welfare recipients should be drug tested because, taxpayers provide the benefit, improves the health and safety of their children and, because it helps to break the poverty cycle.

Welfare is for people who don’t have enough income to live off of and is supposed to be for helping them out with things like food, clothing, and most basic necessities. 61% of people not on welfare are against it and believe people who receive welfare don’t use it for the intended reason and basically look at it as free money. There is 21.3% of the population on government assist. That’s approximately 52.2 million peaple participating in it right now. They get food stamps from the govt and sell them to buy drugs or alcohol which is probably the reason they are on it in the first place. If they did a drug test beforehand, then they would know to not accept that person because the money more than likely would only buy them their next high; therefore, welfare recipients should receive drug tests before being accepted.

So what are the opinions of the individuals within the country? It’s a very controversial topic within the states, and people have very strong opinions regarding drug testing recipients of welfare. There aren’t many with a ‘middle’ opinion. They normally take one side of the argument. People who passionately believe anyone who receives welfare should be tested, and there are many people who swing the complete opposite way and essentially believe that it’s unconstitutional.

United States lawmakers face one of the most pressing issues of our time-welfare reform. New screening processes, often considered a direct violation of constitutional rights, have already been enacted in many states. Strong evidence exists, asserting that the practice of administering drug testing to welfare recipients will cost the U.S. taxpayers more money in the long run, stigmatize applicants and participants, and serve only the purpose of making the pharmaceutical companies more powerful. In order to protect the constitutional rights of potential welfare recipients, United States lawmakers should avoid further criminalizing the poor by submitting them to drug testing and/or a

United States lawmakers face one of the most pressing issues of our time-welfare reform. New screening processes, often considered a direct violation of constitutional rights, have already been enacted in many states. Strong evidence exists, asserting that the practice of administering drug testing to welfare recipients will cost the U.S. taxpayers more money in the long run, stigmatize applicants and participants, and serve only the purpose of making the pharmaceutical companies more powerful. In order to protect the constitutional rights of potential welfare recipients, United States lawmakers should avoid further criminalizing the poor by submitting them to drug testing and/or a nationwide welfare registry.

Over the years welfare has been provided to several people who cannot support themselves. This system was originally invented to help those who lost jobs or were not making the minimal salary required to support them. Recently, several American citizens have begun to raise questions about drug users and welfare. Debate soon broke out in 1996 causing several states to take drug testing into consideration. Welfare drug testing can only take place in certain situations: the state must have a law for drug testing, only when there is suspicion of drug use, and if the supreme court passes a law requiring it.

There has been an ongoing controversy as to whether welfare recipients should have to have drug testing done. Drug testing will ensure that recipients will not abuse the money they’re given by the government. Having people on welfare take drug test is advantageous because it could save the system money, it would help social workers identify children who are around drug abuse, and it would deter people from purchasing and using illegal drugs; however, it does have a downside such as people who are on prescription medication will show false positives, it can be an invasion of privacy and drug testing can take hundreds and even thousands of dollars to administer.

Drug testing people on welfare, would they be asking themselves whether it is right or wrong? If some do believe that drug testing people on welfare is right, then they would not be alone or incorrect. Welfare drug testing is a very controversial topic, there are many people debating fiercely on both sides of this heated argument; they debate about whether testing is necessary and if it is unconstitutional on the case of probable cause. Some people sincerely believe that it is malicious, that it violates on the privacy of the recipients, and they are extremely against even the notion of drug testing recipients; many people stand on the opposing sides of this

The article, “States Adding Drug Test as Hurdle for Welfare” stated that in three dozen sates proposed drug testing for the people that are on welfare. However, people say that the tax dollars given to them are not being misused and that it’s promoting stereotypes about the poor. the article says that in Florida, people that receive welfare have to pay for their own drug tests. Also, it says that people argued that it was unreasonable to drug test those on welfare and that it was an act of search and seizure. It’s noted that drug tests are getting more and more required for getting jobs. Ellen Brandom, a state representative in Missouri said, “Working people today work very hard to make ends meet, and it just doesn’t seem fair to them that

The process of drug testing individuals who are applying or receiving welfare benefits has recently become the focus of a widely spread controversy. Florida, the first state to pass the law, now requires all individuals applying for public assistance to undergo drug testing. The state of Kentucky, among others, have considered following this trend. State lawmakers hope to prevent the squandering of taxpayer dollars on drugs by proposing similar guidelines. Alabama’s states representative Kerry Rich clearly affirmed his state’s position on the matter, “I don’t think the taxpayers should have to help fund somebody’s drug habit” (qtd. in Time).

There are 109,631,000 Americans on welfare, and only 105,862,000 full time working Americans. The fact that the amount of people on welfare outnumbers those who work, shows how our country is deteriorating. Some individuals on welfare take advantage of the system and exchange the things given to them, such as food stamps, for drugs or alcohol. I think anyone who does that should be taken off of welfare. In order to prevent that from happening in the future, I believe a system should be made. The system would determine whether an individual is deserving of government assistance or not. In order to be on welfare, there would be a drug test that has to be passed to even be considered. If passed, there would be quarterly drug tests that have to be passed in order to continue to get help from the government. There should also be a standard set that determines if the severity of the person’s disability is worthy of governmental assistance. If they meet all the criteria and pass their quarterly drug tests, then they deserve to be on welfare. Those who do not meet the criteria and are qualified to work, should get a job in order to support themselves and their

There are many ways in which the drug problem impacts poverty. The most obvious way drug use impacts poverty is through the fact that drugs are addictive and an addict will do anything to get their drugs. A drug addict will spend their life savings on drugs once all of their money is gone they may then resort to criminal activities such as robbery in order to satisfy their growing habit. This drastically contributes to the issue of poverty because not only is the drug addict in poverty but the victim being robbed is also suffering financially. Crime is closely related to drugs because first of all drugs are a crime whether or not they are used for personal purposes or with intent to sell.