Benefits of Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients

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Introduction

Random drug screening involves the experimental analysis that utilizes specimens such as saliva, hair, blood or urine in order to determine the presence of certain drugs or their metabolites. These tests are usually done to ascertain the presence or absence of prohibited drugs or steroids. On the other hand, the state welfare assistance/ government assistance is a government funded program that was started in 1930 during which period US citizens and the rest of the world were facing the great depression (Welfare Information, par.1). This program was meant to assist those who were low income or no income earners.

In order for a person to be eligible for the U.S. welfare aid, program managers must determine a number of factors such as an individual’s gross and net income, the size of the family, emergency medical requirements and unemployment among other factors (Welfare Information par.2). These welfare benefits range from food stamps, child care support, health-care aid, to cash aid among others. The federal government avails these services to its needy citizens through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. On the hand, the federal government obtains the TANF funds from the Central government in order to run the program. The only current restriction imposed on those receiving the welfare aid is that those who are unemployed must be able to secure a job within the next two years after the commencement of the assistance program. This also affects the single parents who should work for at least thirty hours per a week (Welfare Information par.4).

After sixty one years of existence, many Americans have started to raise concerns about the eligibility conditions that are in place for those recei...

... middle of paper ...

...ipients as a condition of

eligibility. New York: American Civil Liberties Union, 2008. 26 Jul. 2010

Associated Press. Want to go on welfare? Just say no to drugs: lawmakers in some

states want recipients to submit to random testing, 2009. 26 Jul. 2010

Canham, Matt. Hatch wants drug testing for people on assistance. Canada: Cannabis

culture magazine, 2010. 26 Jul. 2010

The Lectric law library. ACLU briefing Paper Number 5. Lectlaw.com, 1995. 26 Jul.

2010

“Welfare Information.” US welfare system: help for US citizens. WelfareInfo.org, 2010.

26 Jul. 2010

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