Debate arguing that welfare recipents should not be drug tested - Assignment Example

Debate: Welfare Recipients Should Not Be Drug Tested Outline 0 It’s expensive to the government 2.0 It’s a bad policy3.0 A worse law4.0 Might strain some workers5.0 Might interfere with their rights6.0 May not be safe for them7.0 May interfere with their privacy8.0 May lead to false accusations9.0 May be a form of discrimination10.0 May affect general healthcare provision Debate: Welfare Recipients Should Not Be Drug Tested During the great Depression in the 1930’s, Welfare was started to help struggling families.

Poor training and lack of education make people to join the Welfare, so as to improve their living standards. Their low education limits their opportunities, hence their income. It also makes them less informed on issues relating to illegal drugs (Skidmore & Thackeray, 1976). Illegal drugs are a complex issue, and it is often simplified to people to just dont use them, but thats too much of a simplification for many people. The recently enacted law of drug testing welfare recipients has received a lot of reactions both from those supporting it and those opposing it.

The welfare recipients are not entitled to be tested for drugs under the constitution, thus it is against their human rights (Brieland, Costin, & Atherton, 1975). The plan to test all welfare recipients should be opposed since it is going to be expensive to the government, thus burdening tax payers (Dora, n.d.). Drugs test imbursement is expensive and recent reports put the cost of testing one individual as ranging between $30 to $ 35. As much as they try to balance the calculations so that an individual using drugs is denied the money, it is assumed that the government will save up to $134 monthly.

However, this is just an assumption that is not yet proven (Rubin & Babbie, 2012). The law is among the bad ideas that are recycled time and again. First, this law has been put down in the courts before because the first amendment grants that every individual is secure in their houses and prisons. These arguments include that the government should benefit people’s drug habit. Another one argues that in times of tight budget, screening out the population of undeserving applicants could save the government lots of money (Freind, 2012).

This is not right as people who are addicted to drugs need help. States like Taxes, which prides itself on being tough on crime, have come to the conclusion that it is cheaper to treat addicts than to lock them out. Some scholars argue that screening recipients for drug abuse is quite a cynical way of cutting short term costs (Ashman, 2012). According to Lubbers (2011), the problems associated with welfare are not brought about by the welfare, and the welfare program can be improved. However, punishing those in the Welfare program by introducing drug test to keep some of them out is not proper.

Instead, supporting them even more will help, as it might help them escape circumstances that lead to higher drug use (Rick, William, & Rowe, 2010). In conclusion, Welfare recipients should not take drug tests, as this will be very costly to the government. With this economic depression, adding tax will not be very appealing to the citizens (Utting & Marques, 2009). Secondly, the welfare recipients being mostly poor and uneducated, the best way to handle them is keeping them close. Drug tests will lead to isolating them, which will worsen their case psychologically.

Lastly, the government should take them and give them training on life skills including effects of drug use. This will really help, as the welfare recipients themselves will help in reaching out to the drug addicts in their environment. In the long run, this will keep the less fortunate people close, eventually reducing criminal activities and drug addiction issues (Walters, 2012).ReferencesAshman, K. K. (2012). Introduction to social work & social welfare: critical thinking Perspective.

Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. Brieland, D., Costin, L. B., & Atherton, C. R. (1975). Contemporary social work: an introduction to social work and social welfare. New York: McGraw-Hill. Dora, M. D. (n.d.). Rationally Speaking: Drug testing for welfare. Retrieved November 20, 2012, from http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2011/06/drug- testing-for-welfare.html Freind, C. (2012). Opposing Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients? Are You High? | The Philly Post.

The Philly Post | Breaking News, Photos, Opinion. Retrieved November 20, 2012, from http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2012/02/13/opposing-drug- testing-welfare-recipients-high/ Lubbers, J. S. (2011). Developments in administrative law and regulatory practice 2010. Chicago: Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice. Rick, C., William, S., & Rowe, W. (2010). Responding to the Oppression of Addiction: Canadian Social Work Perspectives.

Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press.Rubin, A., & Babbie, E. R. (2012). Essential research methods for social work (3rd ed.). Melbourne: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. Skidmore, R. A., & Thackeray, M. G. (1976). Introduction to social work (2d ed.). Englewood: Prentice-Hall. Utting, P., & Marques, J. C. (2009). Corporate social responsibility and regulatory governance towards inclusive development? Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Walters, J. (2012). Should Welfare Recipients Be Drug Tested?

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