Welfare and Drug Testing

The welf ar com attri andeer program was designed to be a shipboard solution to encourage families in accept to get venture on their feet, and decent their basic needs. It Is estimated that 50 to 80 percent of family based go involve medicines or alcohol ab riding habit (Chug 2001). Some advantages of compulsory medicate interrogation for social public assistance recipients argon that it fosters self-reliance, averts abuse of the offbeat system, gives people an hazard to receive treatment, and ensures correct allocation of revenue enhancementation dollars. So why non medicine try out the recipients before a person an get qualified for services? medicine abuse has been a puzzle in the United States for a very dogged time.In the beginning before there were regulations narcotics were freely utilise In elixirs and other(a) medical examination and home do remedies. It was not until the impressions of these medicines were known, and the stultification was a lready done that government regulations were put into place. It has been determined that the use of drugs has been the main wee-wee of virtually crimes in the United States. statistically it has been shown that nearly half of the current con game population has some history of drug abuse. It has been brought to the attention of legislators that there is a drug abuse problem within the welfare system.When the welfare reform act of 1996 was passed there was a provision stated to award drug examinationing on an as needed basis. This protocol has not been widely used, and pull inms to harbour been forgotten, until now that is. The government has set a problem within the welfare system, and would like to recoup some of the losses, and in addition help some of the mortals that do be mystify a problem. Welfare was meant to be a temporary fix to help a person get back on their feet. If a drug problem Is present, a person leave alone tend to tab on the system, not be employable , and use the benefits for which they were not Intended.To get this issue in check law makers would like to see people be drug time- shielded before being approved for benefits, and cyclic random tests while they are receiving them as well. There are to a fault purvey for persons who amaze a drug problem to receive the treatment they need. This pale graph represents the results off poll Fox intelligence activity did In 2010. The inquire was, Do you Delves welfare recipients snouts De Aragua tested There are many different types of tests used to detect drugs in a persons yester. The type of interrogatory used give be determined on the types of drugs being tested for and the woo military posture and time allotment.Some states are proposing the individual lead pay for the interrogatory, but go away be reimbursed once the results come back negative. other states are proposing the amount of money they volition save by cutting back on benefit fraud will be more than enough to whirligig the costs of interrogatory. The most cost potent and time efficient method of testing is urinalysis. This test crapper be administered in an office setting and the results are in stock(predicate) immediately. The only down fall to this test is it can be beat by taking herbal supplements that are made to mask the drug.It is also not holy in testing for substances like cocain and alcohol as they are not testable in the urine after 3 old age. Hair testing is another option. This test is administered in a clinical setting, and use ups olive-sized amounts of hair taken from different areas of the head. ace inch of hair gives the clinician sixty days of history, and cannot be faked. Blood tests also require a clinical setting and a laboratory to read the results. With the last 2 options of testing turnaround time an be days, weeks, or months, and can be quite a expensive.There are already a some states such as Michigan, Florida, and New Hampshire that have this protocol in place. The strongest argument for the testing of individuals is having such a program in place will help take the miss use and miss appropriation of taxpayers monies. Governor Rick Scott, R Florida, states Its not salutary for taxpayer money to be paying(a) for somebodys drug addiction, On top of that, this is sledding to increase personal responsibility, personal accountability. We shouldnt be subsidizing peoples addiction. (Scott, 2011). The state of Florida approved this bill that took effect July 1, 2011.Governor Scott also stated Its the skillful amour for taxpayers, Scott said after signing the measure. Its the expert thing for citizens of this state that need public assistance. We dont regard to waste tax dollars. And also, we want to give people an incentive to not use drugs. (Scott, 2011) It is perceived it would help stamp down domestic violence and other drug related crimes. Individuals would also receive preventative and care they might not usual ly have access to without this program. If an individual were to burst a drug test they would be given the option to enter a state treatment program.If the person was to avert treatment or have a second offense after complementary the treatment they would lose their benefits for a accomplishment of one year. As with all brand-new laws trying to be passed there are also those who are against it. Opponents of drug testing believe that it is violating the constitutional protections in the one-fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment to the U. S Constitution states, the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.Columnist William military campaign in The New York Times writes, non only is my home my castle, my body is my citadel. Unless I give you a probable pass water to suspect me of a crime, what goes on in my home and body and mind is my military control Robin Merrill of Main e Equal Justice, which provides legal services for the poor states, Random drug testing is very questionable legally with valuate to constitutional issues. If the government has the right to drug- test people based on put across of aid from public assistance programs, what is to closure en government Trot requiring Aragua testing Tort anyone won receives a bookman loan or any other government benefit?This law would grow a very slippery run with respect to infringement on peoples right to privacy. Another point in question is will this really save the tax payers any money? How much will the added administrative personal and the testing itself cost? The Miami Herald reports that the savings in Florida could kick the bucket one hundred thousand dollars, but no reports of administrative costs have been reported. Adversaries also raise the question close discrimination and alienation. They believe that singling out individuals because of their pecuniary status could be disastrou s and have negative effects.Cutting off families benefits because of the actions of an individual could do more harm than good. Just because an individual has a substance abuse problem, how can you prove they are not apply their benefits appropriately? (Dona 2005) Whether you are in promote or opposed to welfare recipients being drug tested, the issue is one that most people will encounter on Election Day. People who are in favor say testing will allow people to get help that otherwise would fall through the cracks. It would also raise the UN employment rate by allowing those individuals to become better qualified to gravel and keep Jobs.