Do you know anything about drug testing welfare participants?

Hello,
I interviewed my mom on the topic of drug testing welfare participants. Some of the answers have been modified due to fowl language (she’s from Revere). She is a forty four year old Revere born girl who has been married for 25 years and has two children. She comes from a family of struggle who supported eight children on a locksmith’s income. Here’s what she had to say about the questions asked: 

Problem: should we drug welfare participants? 
   
Is this a problem you think is important?  Why/ Why not?
Yes. Because some people on welfare use money for the wrong reasons we provide the welfare money to put a roof over their heads, feed them properly and some people are using their money illegally. Lets eliminate the problem by taking the money to help those in need. I think it’s important to monitor the people on welfare to make sure they are using the food stamps for themselves and their families not selling them for other substances. 

Do you think others in our community think this is an important problem? why/ why not?
 Yes. The majority because they too pay taxes, if you don’t pay taxes why care. This is a problem in the community because people want to understand why they are paying so much money to help support welfare when people they know are on welfare that doesn’t need the aid. I have seen college students selling their food stamps for alcohol and cigarettes all the time. I know people who apply for different types of welfare to give them a break with paying rent, food bills and insurance just because they can. 

What are advantages of this policy?
There is no real policy to explain to you the advantages. However if there was a policy in place I think it would be beneficial to help keep those with serious drug addictions out of welfare and into rehab. There is no reason why we shouldn’t drug test welfare participants. If you want to be in the military, you get drug tested. If you want to work for the state, Walgreens or the FBI you get drug tested. If you must be drug tested to be an active member of the community, you should be drug tested to receive aid funded by that same community. 

What are disadvantages of this policy?
There are none, you are asking for money and help you should thank your government for what they are doing for you. You wont know if there is a disadvantage to see if it’s working because it’s not an active law people are taking advantage of it and it’s getting worse and worse. However some people do have serious problems and it isn’t write to deny someone with a problem aid. I’m not saying everyone on welfare is on drugs or has an addiction. I am saying that we need to find the people who use drugs, alcohol or other methods of self-enhancements and take them off of welfare and get them real help.

Do you think you know enough about this topic and are well educated?
No, I only know what I hear or see on TV. I know a little bit from personal experience with friends and family on different types of welfare. I know the stories my daughter tells me from working at a grocery store, other than that I am only educated a little big about the topic. 

Do you think there should be a more vocal source to help people understand why welfare drug testing is a good or bad idea? 
Absolutely, so we can go and learn about it and those who are on welfare learn about the facts. If they mapped it out for the taxpayers who are helping develop these programs I think they would be less hostile when paying taxes. Most people think that everyone is on welfare. Those who need it and work hard deserve what they are provided with. I just think that drug testing is just another resources 
 so the government can say we are doing all we can to stop unneeded aid and lower taxes. 

How do you think this can be helped?
Being advocates. Not being close-minded. We need to understand that this is a problem. Yes we can voice out opinion but we can’t have an actual voice until it makes a ballot, the government decides where out money is going and they make the choices, they need to step up and pass a law!

After interviewing my mother on the topic I need to be more open-minded. I never thought about taking the people with substance abuse issues and putting them into more intensive rehab programs to try any help them get clean. I fell our tax money would be well spent helping people straighten out their lives than just giving them money every month to help them get by. I also never thought about the children who need the aid their parents are getting. But then again I wonder if their parents are selling their food stamps and spending their welfare checks on drugs, alcohol or non-necessities are their children really in safe hands? This interview helped me to think so far beyond the people on welfare and into the mind of those who need help.