Inaccurate Drug Testing

Drug testing? Insane, outrageous, and wasteful. The issue is whether or not welfare recipients should be drug tested and clean in order to receive funding. Because laboratory tests are often inaccurate, drug testing should not be required. To begin with, drug testing might be illegal search and seizure and might end up not saving money.

First and foremost, “a law requiring drug tests would be unconstitutional. The US Constitution’s fourth amendment protects Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures.” (Santa Fe County Gazette editorial 19). Furthermore, “in order to perform a legal search, there must be individualized suspicion of wrongdoing.” (Santa Fe County Gazette editorial 19).

Additionally, “mandatory drug testing programs for welfare recipients do not save money. A 2011 Florida drug testing law in effect for four months actually cost the state more. Florida spent more on drug testing than it saved in the benefits denied to the only 2.6 percent of people who failed the tests.” (Santa Fe County Gazette editorial 19).
Furthermore, a study from 2007 showed that 20% of TANF recipients reported having used illegal drugs at least once in the past year and 5% reported an abuse problem. (Santa Fe County Gazette editorial 18).

In summary, drug testing is an inaccurate waste of money that does help the government funded assistance programs save on denied benefits. Finally, non-specific studies found the welfare caseloads did not decrease while drug testing laws were being implemented. Therefore, abolish drug testing to save time and