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Pros And Cons Of State Assistance Drug Testing

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State Assistance Drug Testing In 2012, $86.5 billion was given to SNAP, including a $3 billion contingency fund set aside for any unforeseen future expenses (Quick Facts 4). Not many people know just how vast the program actually is. As of January 2016, 45.4 million people were participating in SNAP (“SNAP: Frequently Asked Questions” para 2). All states offer food assistance programs like SNAP, but only 13 states require the recipients to undergo drug testing to qualify (Quick Facts 4). Therefore, there are 37 states that allow people to receive state assistance. This means there are thousands of people who are abusing the system by being irresponsible through the use of abusing drugs. American citizens who qualify for state assistance should …show more content…

In order to qualify for assistance, people must be: working for low wages or working part-time, unemployed, receiving welfare or other public assistance payments, elderly, homeless, or disabled with low-income (para 3). “The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets the rules for SNAP, but individual states run the program. The USDA also provides all the funding for the actual food benefits, while states are responsible for about half the cost of running the program,” (Cancio para 3). Since the state and the federal governments are paying for this program, people should be screened for drugs to prove they are not breaking the federal law about drug use. Illegal drug use is becoming a big issue in today’s society, therefore, most employers have started drug testing before …show more content…

This is not a waste of money, and should instead be considered a responsibility of the federal and state governments. Employers who test their workers foot the bill for the expenses of drug screening. Therefore, the federal government should pay the expenses of drug testing their welfare recipients, since most people on welfare receive assistance in place of a job. Also, supporters of drug testing would much rather pay to make sure people are living productive, and healthy lifestyles (“The Pros and Cons…” para 3). It is unfair for those who work hard everyday to support their families, to have to support those who are not taking the necessary steps to be

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