Drug tests necessary for those receiving public assistance

People in the United States who receive public assistance are currently able to use drugs while the government helps pay for them to live. There are bills in eight states right now about administering drug tests to recipients of public assistance, specifically Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and food stamps.

This would be an excellent policy. Government employees are often given drug tests to ensure a drug-free workplace. So shouldn’t people receiving government money be subject to the same tests?

There are many people who abuse illegal drugs in the United States, but that doesn’t make it any less illegal. Those drugs are illegal for a reason, so our government should make the effort to eliminate as much illegal activity from the lives of public assistance recipients as possible.

They are receiving a monetary gift from the government, and there should be standards set in order to receive that money. If the recipients of public assistance either refuse to take the test or fail, then they are making the choice of drugs over making their lives better. That is a choice they have to live with.

Do you want your tax dollars to pay for drug abusers to live and possibly buy more drugs? Probably not. This is why we need to work together to get this bill passed. We need to contact our local representatives and express our opinions. If we all work as a team, we can make this policy a reality and get drugs out of the hands of public assistance recipients.

Caitlin Howden