States Consider Drug Tests for Welfare Recipients

Bad idea.

What are they going to do, deny food stamps (ebt card nowadays) and health care to children because Dad smoked a joint last week? America has got to get out from the lies of the anti drug establishment including the rhetoric of law enforcement.

I have no issue with anyone who smokes a little bud because its no damn different than a bunch of stuck up politcians getting drunk then driving into someone and killing them. Perhaps we need to drug test for alcohol also before employement.

I think its a sign of America's ignorance and psy-ops against the citizens when man can ban a plant created by nature but allows booze made by man to serve the same end result.

[edit on 8/25/2010 by mikelee]

Originally posted by ModernAcademia
Here's my opinion on it... drug tests for govt. assistance for sure
NO drug tests for recruitment purposes however.

Canada is running well and fine there is no such thing in Canada.
When you tell a canadian that they do drug tests in the U.S. if you want a job their jaw drops and cannot believe it!

ROFL.

Oh, you're serious, aren't you?

I've met dozens of Canadian citizens working in the US, most for Bechtel (hehehe) and every one of them knew, or at least expected a drug test. Most were surprised they didn't get one immediately upon arrival but all were surprised to get one within 24 months after entering.

Needless to say, several went home.

[edit on 8/24/2010 by abecedarian]

reply to post by chise61


Drug test all elected officials from U.S. President on down!!!

reply to post by andy1033


80% of them are to lazy to work or to fat, or just enjoy getting free money on top of their drug dealing salary.
I say 100% awesome idea wish they would do this in Canada.

people r still using foodstamps just like they always did you go up to someone with your card and pin and tell them you will give them 40 dollars worth for 20 cash i see it all the time in my area but cash isn't always for drugs sometimes it for gas or other things if they can't pay for something they need

The testing should start much earlier than welfare if they truly want to tackle the problem....

Want to drive? Pee in a cup.
Want to Vote? see above
Want a HS diploma ...well I think you can see where I am going with this.

By the time people get to the point where they need welfare it is generally too late for their addiction. Catch it early and maybe the next generation will have a chance.

reply to post by skeptic1


Mighty interesting here!

I can see both sides...

...quite frankly, if someone is opposed to giving money to drug users / dealers then why should they have to??

I argue this same point for quite literally everything we're all taxed for.

As against the war on drugs I am, I have to support this. At the very least people should be able to choose whether to fund everyone, or just non-drug users, or nobody for that matter.

Originally posted by shockologist
The testing should start much earlier than welfare if they truly want to tackle the problem....

Want to drive? Pee in a cup.
Want to Vote? see above
Want a HS diploma ...well I think you can see where I am going with this.

By the time people get to the point where they need welfare it is generally too late for their addiction. Catch it early and maybe the next generation will have a chance.

I'm rabidly opposed to everything you've said there.

Let people do what they want as long as they don't hurt others... oh, wait, peeing in a cup wont do much about people who go drinking one night. You clearly don't know much about much of anything in the world. If you've never partied, you can't possibly know much about people, or consciousness, for starters.

Back on point, I can see this drug testing thing ending up lop-sided against pot smokers, as most other drugs leave the system within a few days, although with junkies there's good odds they'd be doing it everyday, whereas crack heads have to wait until they get paid so they can blow it all in a night or two. Just because somebody took a toke off a doob a few weeks ago shouldn't mean they get canceled out. Furthermore, alcohol leaves the system in a day, so drunks get a free ride. Oh, yeah, that's legal, so that's a-okay!! This system is a (bad) joke.

It has been on my mind for some long time that there should be a method by which to give the sober a reward for being sober. Giving an extra benefit to those claiming benefits if it is proven that they are sober. "Sober persons benefit". SPB. I am a sober person and I get very angered that persons on benefits are basically expecting to get their favourite drugs at the tax payers expense ? Here in the British Isles there is a scandle going on in that the drug addict are able to get "Methadone" [Heroin][Opium] at the Police Station as a tax payer funded free hand out ! I contend that this is crazy and will only make drugs addiction worse a problem.
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So, now that we are all going to be on government healthcare...will the doctors be required to report addiction issues.

Will your medical record be attached to welfare benefits

"oh were sorry mr exvet we see your PTSD has led you down the path of alcoholism....you are not eligible for benefits"

yeah yeah ridiculous I know....that would never happen

?

I'm usually just an observer here on ATS but I gotta step up on this one. I am a recipient of food stamps and medical assistance and I am sick and tired of being lumped in and categorized as lowly, druggie lazy and system abuser! How dare you! I do not work because I am disabled. I have an incurable disease called Myasthenia Gravis and can not work no matter how much I may want to therefore I have no recourse but to apply for and recieve these idiotic benefits! I mean sure I could let my family starve or be homeless... would you like that better?

Now, my husband works a decent job and still we barely make ends meet even with my disability and government food stamp supplement. We do not live above our means, no cell phones, no cable TV, and our internet is the cheapest, non contract, month to month service and months where we get behind, guess what's the first bill we let go and let get turne off.. you guessed it... the net.

Also we do not do illegal drugs and RARELY have an alcoholic drink of any sort so I am offended when I am told: your on welfare so you probably smoke crack and should piss in a cup to prove you dont.

I also saw someone say to test the dependents of those on welfare? Whoa hold up a minute you arrogant @ss ... testing me is one thing, but my INNOCENT CHILDREN who did not ask for this? To subject them to the humiliation of discrimination based on class? screw you and screw that!

I really hope that one day, all of you holier than thou, arrogant discriminatory folks who think humiliation of this type is alright, who feel that kicking someone when they are already down is how to fix them loses everything one day and is forced to sucked up that ego and walk through those intimidating doors marked "Department of Welfare and Human Services" .

I hope you enjoy the apathy of the case workers, the knowing scathing smirks, the comments of people in general....

I'd love too be fly on the wall in a scenario such as this... I'd give you one week before you were reduced to tears and changed your tune...

just sayin'

reply to post by undiscoveredsoul


So your saying you would be glad to take an extra test to prove your elgibility?
I mean you have done all the tests to prove you are disabled (yes that is backhanded...I understand you have done what you can to identify and fix your situation)
that being said...what would it be to you if your samples were submitted to one more test to prove your elgibility...

But don't you kind hate knowing that there are many people taking advantage of the same benefits that you deserve, thus reducing what the community has to help you...

That doesn't bother you?

So I wanna say this so as to be understood....I am not grouping all those on social assistance programs in one lump.

I would just like to make sure that aid programs are not enable programs.

X

Teachers need to be drug tested first. Then, we can worry about welfare recipients. I think a lot of kids will go hungry if this passes. I think the whole system needs to be rebuilt from the ground up to make it harder for lazy bums to get it. In a way, I think welfare should be done away with altogether.

Good idea, TEST THEM ALL. It is about time.

reply to post by Xcouncil=wisdom


Sure I'll piss in a cup to prove I'm not a drug user, and as soon as those results come back clean as a whistle I'll toss the whole cup of piss right in the smirking faces of the folks who lump me in with the "low life lazy abusers" I went through HELL proving I was disabled! Felt like a freakin circus side show! STEP RIGHT UP FOLKS AND SEE THE DISABLED GIRL DOING STUPID HUMAN TRICKS!


What I'm saying is this is not the answer, I would bet a lot of money on the fact that most of the system abusers are NOT drug users. THe ones who take advantage and abuse the system... live off of it when they could be working are not all tweaked out and flying high, they are in complete control of their faculties and using their wits to maneuver themselves into more and more benefits. The only benefit I see in testing EVERYONE on welfare is maybe getting help for those who are addicts! Helping them break free from the addiction by mandatory rehab or something not by denying them help.

Still it is discrimination and profiling and I was under the impression that both were illegal.... guess I was wrong...