Should citizens receiving welfare be tested for drugs before being able to receive the aid they “need”? One major problem with drug testing people who collect welfare is if it is worth the effort. Large amounts of money are needed to put people through these tests, and they may not be worth it. Some people argue that the money used to drug test recipients is higher than the amount saved by not giving out the money for welfare. One final argument is the fact of drug tests being legal and constitutional. It is arguable that it infringes on the people’s rights to force them to undergo drug tests. Drug testing welfare recipients has its positives and negatives. Some argue that it is unconstitutional, and others argue that they use the money to buy more drugs. Drug testing welfare recipients is a major point of controversy with problems such as being worth the effort, saving money, and the legality of the tests in general.
A major issue in drug testing welfare beneficiaries is whether it is worth all the effort that is used. Drug tests take time to develop and some citizens may need the money quickly. If a facility does not have the proper technology, results for a drug test could take days to come in. Many states put forth these laws but did not execute them correctly, which resulted in them not doing well (Greenblatt 11). Much time would be needed when “....require drug testing of each and every individual…” (Aversa 16). If one was to drug test every individual, it could take decades to do all of the tests. Many people are required for drug tests with varying degrees and workplaces needed, which would cost even more money. Many different occupations would be needed to be able to apply the drug tests for citizens that apply for welf...
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...to receive drug tests for their assistance, then we will have to come up with another way to combat drug use.
Works Cited
Aversa, Salvatore. “Rick Scott’s Drug Testing Florida’s Welfare Recipients Ruled Unconstitutional.” Occupy Democrats. 01 January, 2014. Web. 05 January, 2014. .
Greenblatt, Alan. “Does Drug Testing Welfare Recipients Save Money?” Governing. July 2012. Web. 05 January, 2014. .
Sherman, Amy. “Court Strikes Down Drug Tests for TANF.” Politifact Florida. Tampa Bay Times, 31 December, 2013. Web. 05 January, 2014. .
...ult, and some times it does not give a result at all. It is unfair because it only targets certain workers; mainly low wage employees. It is unjust because people are automatically accused of using drugs, and that is why the drug test is given. Drug testing should not be abolished, but it should be a more controlled issue since it is something everyone in the US must go through.
"States Consider Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients." FoxNews.com - Breaking News | Latest News | Current News. 26 March 2009. Web. 31 January 2011
There is an ongoing debate over whether or not Welfare recipients should be drug tested to receive the benefits. The lines of reasoning from both sides of this argument have unambiguous points. Those who oppose the idea of drug testing say that it is unconstitutional, and violates the Fourth Amendment. Furthermore, they claim that this law stereotypes and discriminates against the poor
Walters, Jonathan. Should Welfare Recipients Be Drug Tested? 13 March 2012. Web. 8 Jan. 2014
There is an ongoing debate over whether or not welfare recipients should be drug tested to receive the benefits. Both sides of the argument have merit. Those who oppose the idea of drug testing say that it is unconstitutional and violates the Fourth Amendment. Furthermore, they claim that this law stereotypes and discriminates against those from low socioeconomic demographics, implying that because they are poor, they must be drug addicts. However, those who support the law note that its intended purpose is to ensure that taxpayer money is not being squandered on people who only plan to abuse this assistance. Only nine states so far have instituted drug testing of candidates for welfare assistance. This drug testing has proven to be prohibitively expensive in many cases. Consequently, some states only test subjects with whom they find suspicion, or who have admitted to past drug use. Though proposed drug testing of welfare applicants initially appears to be a good idea to eliminate potential abusers of the system from receiving assistance, it appears that even more money may be wasted on the testing process, which negates the savings that are the primary objective of the law.
The Government needs to draw the line somewhere. In Sweden the Government was giving out free heroin, in order to keep the drugs free from being impure. However, Margaret McKay (2001) declares that if we follow in same steps, soon we will be giving out not only free heroin, but also other illegal substances as well. It will then lead to problems with other drugs as well.
Mckinney, Joseph R. "The Effectiveness and Legality of Random Student Drug Testing Programs Revisited." RandomStudentDrugTesting.org. 2005. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
...than just seeing users as bas people, we can work on not only lessening the amount of drug use, but solving the factors that surround it.
... decided that it is a valid and necessary solution to our countries drug problem. By implementing such a program the American population can use its money and resources to combat the problem through the legal system. Legalization will decrease violent crime associated with drug dealers, it will decrease the number of users and will lower the wasteful cost which is connected with the current system. Such legalization will not destroy our youth in any way and will only be accessible to adults in the country. If we continue with our current system we will never solve the problem. Drug dealers and addicts will crown our prisons and plague our streets.
Shannon, Elaine. “The War on Drugs: A Losing Battle.” Time.com. Time Magazine, 3 Dec. 2010. Web. 18 Dec. 2011. .
The ethics of drug testing has become an increased concern for many companies in the recent years. More companies are beginning to use it and more people are starting more to have problems with it. The tests are now more than ever seen as a way to stop the problems of drug abuse in the workplace. This brings up a very large question. Is drug testing an ethical way to decide employee drug use? It is also very hard to decide if the test is an invasion of employee privacy. “The ethical status of workplace drug testing can be expressed as a question of competing interests, between the employer’s right to use testing to reduce drug related harms and maximize profits, over against the employee’s right to privacy, particularly with regard to drug use which occurs outside the workplace.” (Cranford 2) The rights of the employee have to be considered. The Supreme Court case, Griswold vs. Connecticut outlines the idea that every person is entitled to a privacy zone. However this definition covers privacy and protection from government. To work productively especially when the work may be physical it is nearly impossible to keep one’s privacy. The relationship between employer and employee is based on a contract. The employee provides work for the employer and in return he is paid. If the employee cannot provide services because of problems such as drug abuse, then he is violating the contract. Employers have the right to know many things about their employees.
Drug testing is essential to the public to prevent substance abuse. Since drug users tend to abuse drugs in any way they can get out of. The benefits of drug testing help society to be safe. Also drug testing can change the community to become more successful. Safety of workplaces often gives drug testing due to preventing violence and safety at workplaces for employees. Drug testing can be a hardship for drug users due to they sometimes need it for medicine, but some other people take advantage of drug usage that makes society unsafe. That’s why drug testing helps eliminate unacceptable substance that happens in the society.
...w they sit back and let their country people slowly die from addiction and sickness knowingly
Tardiff, J. C. (2008). Marijuana. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
There are many programs out in the public today for the sole purpose of keeping people clean, off drugs. Programs such as Betty Ford, D.A.R.E, and many more are set up. to keep people from drug abuse. In the end the war on drugs is not a war to be won or lost, it’s with the people, whether they want to do drugs or not. The importation of illicit substances into the United States is an impossibility.