Should those on welfare or any form of government assistance be able to pass a urine test?

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Yes they should and many states have now enacted drug testing laws...if those that work are required to be drug tested then those receiving public assistance should be, too....Show more

Wouldn't that make welfare even more expensive for taxpayers? Drug testing isn't free (or foolproof). Besides, welfare doesn't pay well enough to pay for street drugs. Drugs are expensive and are usually paid for with illegal forms of income (dealing, theft, prostitution, etc.). Of course then taxpayers have to pay for more law enforcement which costs at least as much as welfare when you consider how much it costs to keep someone in prison (in some states over $30K a year).
Of course there is also the problem of children whose parents are on welfare. It wouldn't do to let them starve because their parents failed a drug test, but to take all the children away from their parents and place them in state homes would be very expensive and in many cases cruel.
I guess if there were enough living wage jobs we could do away with many types of government assistance, but there aren't enough jobs available.
Looks like there are no humane solutions that don't ultimately cost the taxpayers a lot of money. I suppose we could legalize drugs and bring the cost down, but I have reservations about legalizing hard drugs and making them cheap and easily available. Maybe we should legalize marijuana and use tax revenue from marijuana sales to enforce prohibition of hard drugs so they wouldn't be available....Show more

Yes. And dont think that children of those who use drugs and get government assistance arent already going hungry. Go to any grocery store and you will be approached by people offering to buy your groceries for you using their food stamp card for whatever cash you have on hand. What needs to happen is if they test positive for drugs offer them help and give them 30 days to get clean or lose not only their assistance but their kids too. I dont want to see anyone go hungry or homeless but if they continue to get the aid they are being enabled to continue with their drug abuse....Show more

Anybody can cheat a drug test and those who do drugs habitually often know more about drug tests than those who only smoke pot once in a blue moon and suddenly have to take a test. I've cheated at least 15 drug tests in my life with the 22 jobs I've worked. I will always do drugs, and I will always get the job when I need one because I'm good at interviewing, so a drug test is nothing to me. We have the internet nowadays, the information is widely available and word of mouth amongst those who do drugs is even more powerful. So basically, the hardcore druggies will get their money, while some poor sucker who smokes pot once in a while will suffer along with their children....Show more

Hell yes. Congress, Soldiers, Police, FBI/CIA/IRS, any Government position or employee, even the Post Office.
At the State level as well, especially teachers, professors ... anyone who receives taxpayer money.
ACORN first.

I'm not worried, are you?...Show more