Doesn't This Seem Silly to You? Law They Are Trying to Pass in Ohio.

I just have one question about this: what happens to the drug addicts? And maybe should we care about these people?

I am just wondering since many people here believe that drug addiction is an illness that requires treatment - wouldn't cutting people off from funding that could pay for this treatment make things worse? Will some addicts die as a result of this and is that just what they deserve for being addicted in the first place.

I would welcome some opinions about why we should or should not care...

This has been proved over and over to be a huge expense for the stste and most of them are stopping it after just a few months. The thing is they required the person to pay for the test themselves. If I had extra money to spend on a drug test I would use it to buy groceries....they are showing that less than 1% of the people applying are coming up positive for drugs. Well, that is what several states have said. They ended up paying out way more than they would have normally plus the people applying still get the assistance. So they paid for tons of drug tests, they paid employees to sit and wait for people to come and pee in from of them. Then they still had to pay out the benefits. It ended up costing these states way more than it would have.

This kind of thinking is judgmental and discriminatory and it should be stopped.

But to be honest, if they would pay outright for the drug testing at no cost for the person applying then I don't care how many times people have to go pee in a cup. Poor people should not have to pay for drug testing, if they had a job the drug tests would be free.

This bombed spectacularly in FL.
They did it and less than 2% tested positive for substance.
What a WASTE of money!

I'll support something like this when our elected officials get a breathalyzer AND a drug test when they return from lunch every day!

Is your question about the state is testing the adults on assistance or testing the kids?

Someone will figure out that testing kids is impractical.

But yes, I whole heartedly support testing adults on assistance. And those who are abusing illegal drugs should not be collecting. Period.

Reason is this: I had to take drug tests while I was working to keep my darn job, which my taxes in turn pay for government assistance.. The recipients can take drug tests to keep their free hand out.

Extremely silly. Especially since the numbers are out from areas that have already done this. HUGE loss of money for the state. The whole idea was saving money (supposedly), but the state spent a gazillion times more on the testing than they saved by booting the few people who got busted.

Quite frankly... I think there should be a clause: Pop Positive & We Pay for Rehab.

Waiting lists for rehab are often 1-2 YEARS long. Private pay? Sure, someone on aid can just come up with 15k how, exactly? Refusing someone aid, and refusing to get them help? Why not just have a concentration camp for the untouchables? :p

They have done something similar in Florida...although I don't think that they test children. Our Gov. in his infinite wisdom decided that all welfare recepients should take and pass a drug test. AND they had to pay the initial cost of the test upfront...supposedly the money would be refunded in their benefits if they were approved. Now it just so happens that our Gov. has a personal and financial relationship with the company that would be doing the drug testing...i.e. he had part ownership of the company.

The purpose of this law was to eliminate welfare fraud. Last I heard, only about 2% of those people tested actually tested positive for drugs. SO, the State paid the cost of the drug tests for the other 98%. My contention is that the cost of the 98% of those drug tests probably exceeded the cost of potentially 2% of fraud. It just seems like the money could be spent in better ways.

I live in Ohio, and I actually wasn't aware that they were trying to pass that here. But, I think it is great! I will vote for it in a heartbeat. Asking someone to pee in a cup to receive money is a fairly small request. If you're not on drugs, then you have nothing to hide, and you'll still get your money/benefits. I don't think its infringing on anyone's rights/privacy at all, and hopefully it will weed out some of those that are abusing the system.

Total waste of taxpayer money. In Florida, if your drug test is negative, the taxpayers pick up the tab. If it is positive, you don't get reimbursed and you don't get assistance. Because it is ethical for us to allow people with a medical condition (addiction) to starve to death. And even if it is, don't we find it just a little uncomfortable to have to step past the starving addicts on the street? Maybe just the ones with kids also on the streets. I suppose we could put the $$$ we don't spend on testing towards rehab programs and try to help these people become productive again. But that would not be nearly as popular with the electorate.

I think that the money that's going to be spent on the drug test could be better used by helping the long term welfare recipients to better themselves.

Not to mention, a druggie knows how to have a clean pee test. Synthetic urine is ready & easy to get.

Well I hope they don't make minors take the test.......however I totally agree with adults taking it! And how would they pay for it? I am sure they would make up from the when they stop giving money to people who take theirs...and their kids portion and use it to buy drugs.

I have needed state assistance for me and my family.......and I would have NO problem taking a drug test. Employers require it so why can't the government?

I think drug testing is ridiculous for this or getting or keeping a job or whatever. It's a big waste and really doesn't prove much in the bigger picture. And if the government is going to test children or babies that's even more ridiculous.

I don't do drugs and don't want to. But I say no to the war on drugs. It's a big joke. It's wasted billions and billions that couldv'e been spent on so many things that would be helpful and sustaining for our society.
I could go into further explaination but enough said.
There are no easy answers to this problem.

I think the idea is for the adults (parents) to be drug tested...as a member of the workforce (taxpayer) you are subject to drug testing to get and keep your job which pays the taxes that pay for these programs...why shouldn't the recipients be subject to drug testing?

its adults only, i live in ohio, they are trying to make it that ADULTS have to get drug tested, kids that are on assisted will go unaffected no matter how the adults test (supposedly)

Wow, I cant imagine them testing kids? That doesnt sound right.

They've been talking about urine testing our welfare recipients, here in CA, that are in certain "work" programs, they cant get their check if they pee dirty. I think it would be good to implement it, honestly.

Welfare has become a "lifestyle" here in California. There are too many easy ways to beat the system and some families thrive on working that paper for the free money..... they don't see it as free because of the hoops they eventually learn to jump through-- they consider as "work". Thus, it becomes generational as the parents teach their kids how to "work" it.

I think regular drug testing that particular demographic of welfare recipients (adults that could be working) would create a LOT of lab jobs, and diffuse some of the lifers.

ETA
And, yes, it's true that many of us have to drug test to get "our" jobs and many are tested randomly throughout the work year.... take truck drivers and mass transit workers for an example. Arent we glad they test them?
I disagree that we would be "cornering" innocent people by asking them to drug test prior to receiving benefits.

They have already passed a similar law here in Florida and I have no problem with it. Everyone needs to take a drug test to get a job so why should they be any different. I don’t think will apply to children or all programs.

I think it's sad for someone to collect money from the state and then go buy drugs with it, or gamble, buy liquor, etc. These programs are set up to help people and their children but if "we the people" let them continue they will always be dependent on the government.

If younger generations keep depending on the government to take care of them then what is going to happen in the future? There will be no more money to hand out and the 1% will move to other countries because they will get tired of supporting everyone.

I think it is great. If they are spending all the money on drugs, where is the money to buy food for the kids, what it is SUPPOSED to be spent on?? And I'm sure the drug test is for the person whose name the check is addressed to, not the kids. I for one think that people should only be on welfare for a specific amount of time, and be required to take college classes to get themselves prepared to take care of themselves. Tough love is the only way it's gonna work. We know that by raising our own children.

How are they going to pay for that?

I am sure the point you are making here in this post has been made by people who are working on the bill, I agree with the need of testing the adults, and maybe even young teens - say 12 and up? I think it has things to work out as all bills do, but I think it has merit too!

I don't know that I'd go so far as to say it's silly, accountability and all, but... I'd want to know if the state of Ohio has a plan in place to deal with the fallout that stopping all those checks is going to create.

I don't know what's a good solution but I DO think something needs to be done with the whole system!!!

I saw a guy the other day at a gas station and he had the cash for his cigarettes but then used a welfare/food stamp card to buy a couple cans of that stupid Monster drink. I was sooooooooooooooooo disgusted!!!!

You're going to have people abusing the system no matter what!!!

I don't have a problem with it, in THEORY. I think there should be some accountability, that is lacking now. (I say this even as a person whose family is full of addicts.) The problem, is it will cost soooo much money.

Also: I do believe it would only be for adults. Here, the children get medicaid through the parents, based on their income. (Or, lack of income.) The only people who need to be tested, would be the ones who are reporting their income. I still think it would cost too much, though.

The waste of money is abusing the system instead of getting a job. I work with these addicts that spend all their money. They are VERY able bodied and can work. Many own clothes that are brand name stuff I cant afford. If they get people off welfare that are using any kind of drugs thats less people the rest of us have to finance who actually work college degreed jobs and contribute to society.