Drug Testing Welfare Recipients Essay

According to a oeuvre on the government of Canadas website, in 2003, 1.7 million raft were on government assistance and that number has continued to grow. The current unemployment charge per unit in Canada is 7.2% and some of those families rely on the government to put food on the table, a roof over their heads and clothes on their bodies, meaning that cash is absolutely inevitable. However, working citizens atomic number 18 often resentful of the citizens winning the capital that they earned and some be demanding that public assistance recipients be dose tried and true in order to be eligible. Although nowhere in Canada requires do medicines examen to cause welf atomic number 18, several states in the United States do. However, this idea fails to consider that drug interrogation recipients punishes children, ignores that drug dependence is a disease that needs treatment, and that it has proved to not make unnecessary cash. Therefore, drug exam in order to be eligible for welf atomic number 18 is callous and nothing just now a sign of discrimination and selfishness in society.Taking a air money from a citizen that well-tried positive for drugs would unfairly punish their children, who are innocent and didnt cull to have the parents they were born to. 81.5% of assistance recipients in okey are children (Richey), which operator that many children could suffer immensely because of their parents actions. If a soul on welfare were to test positive for drugs and their funds were to be taken away, their children would lose their entire come of income, which would mean they would suffer infinitely more than they already did. The kids born to drug addicts would have no lunch money or clothes for school while alcoholics children still received funds. This would be extremely hypocritical and it is cruel to disadvantage children that already have the odds stacked against them. Living in poverty couldcause them to do seedy in school and po ssibly turn to drugs themselves, solely obliterating any lay on the line they had for a breach future. It is realistic to argue that if parents are using drugs, they are already wasting the money that could go towards their children. Although this argument is true, completely taking away all of the money is not going to solve the problem. more than over, sending more children into the already crowded foster care placement would also only cause more problems, a fact that American Public Health tie-in, the National Association of Social Workers, and the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselor all agree with as they oppose all laws mandating drug testing in order to receive government funding (Richey). Finally, the money that families receive could help struggling parents worry into rehab and back on their feet, allowing the children to overcome poverty and live a better life. The blatant disregard for how drug testing those on welfare would vilify childrens lives proves that the policy is callous and selfish. In society it is common for citizens to fall apart and stigmatize drug addicts. They are stereotyped as lazy but in reality, drug addiction is a disease that needs treatment. A someone addicted to drugs cannot simply quit when they involve to.Continued drug use changes the chemistry of the brain, alters its structure and its ability to function normally. Moreover, images taken of drug addicts brains show that the areas that are necessary for proper judgment, and behaviour control are greatly damaged. Once someone is addicted to drugs it is no longer a conscious choice to use, but something their body needs to function. It is wrong to divert against addicts because it is first and foremost, a disease, just like any other psychic illness and there should not be any stigma link to it. Therefore, entry into a medically supervised treatment centre is necessary so taking away that addicts only source of income volition not help them in any way and will only result in an increase in the homeless population. It is possible that some people on welfare may be hold to get into a treatment program and need the money to supporting themselves while they do so.The blatant disregard that the policy of drug testing welfare recipients has for the physical and neurological effects that drug addiction has on a person clearly indicates the callousness and discrimination that the policy demonstrates. The last and most important argument is that drug testing does not that any money. Infact it wastes it. The entire idea for drug testing is that drug users assistance could be terminated, and therefore save taxpayers from wasting their money however, this is not the case. The woos of producing and administering the tests have proven to cost more money than the governments saved from terminating those found to have been using drugs. doh spent $30 000 drug testing people on welfare and only 12 people tested positive. Simil arly, only 2% of people receiving government assistance in Florida failed the test, compared to national drug usage rate of 8% (Covert).This suggests that the majority of drug users are not those living in poverty, and hints at the unjust discrimination they face. Additionally, a recent New York multiplication article stated that testing in Florida cost the government an superfluous $45 780, which is grossly wasteful. Comparably, out of the 8 states that are enforcing legislation, none of them are saving money. In Arizona, only 1 person in 3 years tested positive (Kelly). Every single study do has shown that the state governments are losing money but more and more states are proposing it and citizens of Canada are pushing for it as well. As of 2013, 29 states have proposed the legislation, which is completely nonsensical. If no money is world saved, why are so many people behind the policy? The only possible priming coat has to be selfishness and the reluctance of citizens for t heir taxes to be going toward fellow citizens less fortunate than themselves.This exemplifies how drug testing the poor is simply a symptom of discrimination in society and not a means to save money. With all of the tell apart considered, there is no rebutting the fact that drug testing in order to be eligible for welfare is callous and nothing but a symptom of discrimination and selfishness in society. The testing punishes children, which is unfair, ignores the fact that drug addiction is a disease and most significantly, doesnt save any money. So many people are supporting this legislation but being poor should not result in someone being designate as less than and a delinquent. It is unfair that the only standing reason for implementing or sustaining laws requiring drug testing is that people dont want their money going to the less fortunate that ultimately, need it for survival. For any person that supports these legislations the main question that should be pondered is why? W hy should the poor be drug tested when everyone receives government funds in one way or another? The fact is, they should not.BibliographyCovert, Bryce.Utah Spent More Than $30,000 To twist 12 Drug Users On eudaimonia. ThinkProgress RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.Kelly, Brian P. An Inane, Money-eating Sham Drug Tests for Welfare a Huge Failure. Saloncom RSS. N.p., 29 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.Richey, Kate. Five Reasons Not to Drug-test. Oklahoma Policy Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014