Substance Abuse and Welfare Reform

With the state of Florida having just passed legislation this year that makes drug testing of welfare recipients mandatory, the connections between welfare reform and drug abuse have been hotly and publicly debated by politicians and homemakers alike. However, both sides of this issue are basing their opinions and potential policy-making decisions on data that may only be anecdotal. This is complicated further by the sensationalism with which this issue is often reported. But while other states have had similar legislation passed and then ultimately shot down again, Florida's seems to be sticking so far, thus spurring speculation that other states might soon follow suit. In the United States, poverty and drug abuse are closely linked. And because many who live in poverty depend upon the public welfare system in order to survive, welfare is also commonly linked to drug abuse. People who have fewer educational and occupational opportunities often turn to drugs in order to self-medicate feelings of inadequacy, boredom, and helplessness. However, the very nature of drug abuse makes it difficult to determine just how bad this problem is and how many people it affects. In many regards people who abuse drugs live in a counter-culture type of world. In order to remain undetected these people will go to great extremes to hide their drug use. As a result, any figures or data gained in studies or research on the subject are at least partially skewed because it must logically be incomplete data – at best. Accordingly there are those who argue that the only way to be sure is to drug test everyone who receives welfare, while the opposition states that this would violate the civil rights of most. According to the ACLU, "Seventy percent of all illicit drug users . . . ages 18-49, are employed full-time. According to a 1996 study by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, differences between the proportion of welfare and non-welfare recipients using illegal drugs are statistically insignificant." If these figures are accurate, then it would seem feasible that testing all welfare recipients would be unconstitutional. On the other hand, some federal employees have pointed out that they must submit to regular drug testing in order to remain employed and receive federal [read: taxpayer] money. Because welfare is also drawn from public funds, these people say that recipients should also be willing to submit to testing. Some states, such as Pennsylvania, have made an attempt at a "middle ground" on the issue. Welfare applicants who have previously been convicted of a drug related crime must submit to drug testing as a condition of receiving state or federal aid. Because these people have demonstrated prior disregard for drug laws, their civil liberties can be justifiably restricted, some believe. Whatever side of the issue you're on, if someone you love is suffering from an addiction, you know that there's no time to debate politics. You need to get help right now.