Ethical Situation: Welfare Recipient Drug Testing?

Right, we are talking about welfare, not SSI.

I agree, I know there is even discussion of performing drug screens in order to get unemployment benefits also. Most places also give you one if you are injuried at work in order to get worker's compensation benefits. I'm adopted and came from one of "those" families who lived and still live off the welfare system and none of them ever worked a day in thier life. I am the oldest out of 10 and fortunately was adopted by a wonderful set of parents (my aunt). I have always known my biological family and see the vicious cycle as all the other 9 siblings and thier children and childrens children are still on welfare. Now consider I am 52 years old. This essentially means my biological family has been on the welfare system most of my life!! I am the only one who graduated high school much less went to college and had to go to the military to do that. My youngest sibling is a crack addict, another was in the foster home system until 18 then sent back to our biological mom. She is also a drug addict and lets just say earns money in other ways. My biological mom and her husband divorced while she collects yet he owns a towing business in another sons name. My 2 brothers are both alcoholics and get SSI in addition to the welfare. Live with thier girlfriends who also have children and on the welfare system yet manage to get their liqour, cigarettes and drugs daily. Go figure. Yes they should drug screen among other things I see my money that I work for going down the drain to support a vicious cycle over and over.

We have to take a drug test to make the money, they should have to take a drug test to get the money.

I also propose that recipients of welfare should receive a Depo Provera shot in order to pick up their check.

This is Your Country on Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America.

It costs roughly 32,000/year to keep one person in prison. (MCF-Fairibault is the drug/alcohol prison for MN DOC so that is the base figure.) Welfare supports are probably a third of that cost for an individual. Which is cheaper?

I am not a fan of drug abuse/dependence in any way shape or form. From a purely pragmatic standpoint it is cheaper to treat addiction from a medical perspective vs a correctional perspective. Far better in my opinion to tie eligibility for benefits to active participation in drug rehabilitation. (including group and work participation.)

Absolutely~

For folks to get of welfare, they need to find a job. In order to find a job, they probably need a drug screen... see where this is going?

They test positive, they get a warning. Second time, no more benes. Period. They is no reason our tax monies should fund irresponsible welfare recipients that are users and are probably not eligible to qualify for any type of quality job, due to their illegal drug use.

The fact is if someone is really addicted to a hard drug (e.g meth, heroin, crack) then any knowledge of a drug test to get the money from welfare would be out of the question for them. Hard core drug addicts are looking for ways to get high, period. So, if they know they will be required to take a drug test to get welfare money they will either look for ways to cheat the test, or bypass it all together.

It's easy to beat a Marijuana test.

The bottom line, drug-addicts don't need to be punished, they are sick and they need treatment.

And I have a question, does "welfare" actually pay cash? The only forms of welfare I have heard of are food stamps & WIC and those can not be converted to cash.
What am I missing? Thanks.

Why not????????

Free RIDE IS OVER.

Depends on the state. I don't know if they have all converted over to the card system or not.

:yeahthat: