Drug testing for #welfare recipients is crucial. It ensures that funds go to only those who deserve it, rather than funding individuals using drugs.

Drug abuse has been a public concern for decades. States have come up with proposals for drug testing of applicants and recipients of public welfare funds. The federal welfare reform of 1996 allowed drug testing as part of the short term assistance for needy families’ block grant. In recent years, almost all states in America have suggested some drug testing forms for welfare fund applicants. The question that we should ask ourselves is, is there a need for drug testing? The answer is an emphatic yes. Drug testing has more advantages that will ensure the government spends taxpayers' money on necessities and people who deserve it. 

Drug testing is crucial because it ensures prudent use of taxpayer dollars to eliminate fraud from the system. When residents pay taxes, they expect the government to use those funds in a way that maximizes the value of their contribution. However, when resources are allocated to people struggling with addiction, it does not reflect prudent spending. The main objective of welfare programs is to make sure the funds given are spent on items that are necessary for survival rather than buying drugs. 

Testing drugs enables the government to detect barriers that could keep people from working. Information from drug testing presents social workers with data on what may hinder an individual from exploring their potential. Addiction can deny people employment.

People who are struggling with drugs are not always ready to accept that they are dealing with addiction. According to American Addiction Centers, one out of every eight people who struggle with a drug issue is also struggling with alcoholism. Unemployed people are two times more likely to struggle with addiction in comparison to those who are not. By drug testing, we can identify people at a high risk of developing an illicit addiction that could eliminate them from labor force. 

By drug testing, it discourages long-term welfare use. Additional requirements for keeping benefits encourage recipients' of the funds to find work in order. This is encouraged as a way to escape the bureaucratic requirements of maintaining welfare. When the number of welfare dependents reduces, the funds can be directed to other economic sectors.

The precedent for drug testing has already been set in the job market. Drug testing is a requirement by employers. Therefore it is equally reasonable to ask for testing for welfare beneficiaries. 

Adopting and maintaining drug testing practices will have more benefits in the long run.