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Drug Testing Welfare and Food Stamp Recipients Costs Taxpayers More

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  • JaredS
    2016-02-21 03:54:22 PM
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    This might be a touchy subject for some, but what I'm about to say is undeniably true. The states that drug test individuals who receive welfare and food stamp benefits spend far more money on making sure those individuals aren't taking drugs than the states who don't drug test.

    And what are the results? A minuscule fraction of individuals receiving welfare or food stamps test positive for any drug. I think this is because people who are in dire need of food and other government benefits don't have the disposable income to purchase illegal drugs.

    I'm not trying to get in a political discussion about the pros and cons of these programs, but would like to know if anyone is comfortable enough talking about their own experience of being drug tested before they could receive their benefits. I'm also interested to know what other people think about mandatory drug testing to receive these benefits. Are these tests worth it if your money is being spent for something that is showing little to zero return?

  • J.K.Logic
    2016-02-21 07:23:21 PM
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    Reminds me a little bit of voter id laws to 'prevent fraud'. For something that happens so seemingly rarely, some other political motivator is probably going on.
  • JFoster
    2016-02-26 11:00:14 AM
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    JaredS Wrote:
    I think this is because people who are in dire need of food and other government benefits don't have the disposable income to purchase illegal drugs.

    Coming from an area that was considered to be the meth capital of Texas, I wish I could say this were true. You have to consider the type of drugs impoverished people use,cheap, fast acting drugs that have detectability windows of only a few days.Meth for example has a window of 3 to 5 days, crack has an even shorter window of 1 to 4. Also, consider the fact that legal drugs are still available, such as alcohol. $1.25 can buy a lot of cheap beer. I don't think these programs are worth it. More emphasis should be put on getting people back on their feet financially.
  • YellowSubmarine
    2016-03-14 04:33:11 PM
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    JaredS Wrote:

    The states that drug test individuals who receive welfare and food stamp benefits spend far more money on making sure those individuals aren't taking drugs than the states who don't drug test.

    Do you know which states do these drug tests? I'm curious. I heard about Florida. But I never looked fully into it.
  • JFoster
    2016-03-15 10:42:47 AM
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    YellowSubmarine Wrote:
    Do you know which states do these drug tests? I'm curious. I heard about Florida. But I never looked fully into it.

    According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, these are the states who have passed laws regarding the drug testing of those on welfare: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah.

  • JaredS
    2016-03-22 03:10:31 PM
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    JFoster Wrote: Coming from an area that was considered to be the meth capital of Texas, I wish I could say this were true. You have to consider the type of drugs impoverished people use,cheap, fast acting drugs that have detectability windows of only a few days.Meth for example has a window of 3 to 5 days, crack has an even shorter window of 1 to 4. Also, consider the fact that legal drugs are still available, such as alcohol. $1.25 can buy a lot of cheap beer.

    These are all valid points, but many of those people are the exception and not the norm.

    The vast majority of people on food stamps have full or part time jobs, but can't afford to pay for food to feed their family. I think many politicians try to find the few bad apples who take advantage of the system as proof positive that all people getting assistance are taking advantage of it.

    JFoster Wrote: I don't think these programs are worth it. More emphasis should be put on getting people back on their feet financially.

    I have to respectfully disagree with the first sentence. Making sure families have food on the table is a program I will gladly support.

    As I said earlier--most people on government assistance already have full or part time jobs. A high school education no longer guarantees you a 9-5 anymore and the jobs that are available for high school graduates are usually low wage with no benefits.

    Manufacturing jobs that don't require much education are never going to come back. We just have to admit that. The manufacturing jobs that are here require a college education because they are highly technical. Add in the fact that the world is only getting smaller with the technological revolution that connects people around all points of the globe in seconds and you have problem that is far more complicated than saying we need programs to get people back on their feet financially.

  • JFoster
    2016-05-02 08:35:21 PM
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    True, perhaps there were too many "bad apples" in my area at the time. At one point, there was black market for food stamps. I remember seeing people exchanging stamps for cash so that they could buy the things that stamps couldn't, such as alcohol. I really hope that the majority of people who use the benefits are legitimately using them, as well as gaining financial relief as a result.
  • Interested
    2016-07-13 12:38:34 AM
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    Sometimes people trade food stamps for money because some necessities cannot be purchased with food stamps - such as toilet paper, soap, toothpaste...I do realize that other things are sometimes traded but not all trades are for those.
  • JaredS
    2016-07-13 06:48:49 PM
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    Interested Wrote: Sometimes people trade food stamps for money because some necessities cannot be purchased with food stamps - such as toilet paper, soap, toothpaste...I do realize that other things are sometimes traded but not all trades are for those.
    That's a great point. Why a family who receives assistance can buy sugary drinks that have no nutritional value, but can't buy toilet paper and soap just defies logic. The entire program needs a major overhaul that encourages people to purchase fruit, vegetables, and other necessities of life and discourages the purchase of items that cause diabetes and have no nutritional value whatsoever.
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