by Naomi Kenny

Created on: April 15, 2009

Every person who receives government assistance should be drug tested. This group should also include any parents that are involved with CPS investigations. Our society has too many people having their drug habits supported by government moneys. Drug habits make the victims less dependable, unmotivated, a danger to our children and medical burdens on society.

The drug testing should not be a scheduled routine, but unscheduled and varied in the type of test performed. Drug addicts are expert cons and know all the ways around standard drug tests. There is also a cost for all of these tests. If the government contracted for the testing they could get better prices. If the testee is negative then the government pays. If the testee is positive the testee pays, loses benefits, and suffers other legal consequences.

Drug testing needs to include alcohol and frequently abused prescriptions drugs. It also seems inappropriate for those receiving assistance to be using tabacco products. This is a high dollar luxury that should only be available to those who can afford the price.

A federial program that funnals down to the states to create caseworkers for each person recieving assistance would create jobs. These caseworkers need good training and decent pay, to motivate them to stay in the jobs. The program would save the government money as people are removed from the assistance rolls.

The victims of drug abuse need professional counseling and medical support. This should be available to them as long as they stay clean. The current system doesn't allow the different agencies dealing with those in need to communicate, coordinate care and services. This allows the addicts to work the system and continue to be paid government dollars supporting their habits. This coordination needs to be across the country as many addicts will move to escape losing benefits or being caught.

There should be a stronger concern in this country for our children being "raise" by addicts. The courts are more concerned with keeping children with their biological mothers than in being sure the situation is safe and healthy for children. If a program was implemented to test these parents with children who receive government assistance we might be able to insure children have a better chance at health families. The system allows the addicts to use the children to get assistance, but doesn't enforce that the assistance is used for the children.

This stance is a hard line but drug addition is damaging our society and endangering our children. It's time for "tough love" to turn the situation around. Those that need the assistance and are not abusing sytem will continue to get their needs met. The abuse of the system hurts our society. Let's clean it up.

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