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question_id: 5510
In theory, mandatory drug testing as a requirement for receiving unemployment seems like a pretty reasonable requirement. If someone receiving benefits from the government is on an illegal drug they should lose those tax payer funded benefits, right? The problem with that line of reasoning is this: while good, in theory, the way it has worked out in real life in many places that have tried this policy have been less than encouraging.
Some would even say they were appalling failures that wasted tax payer money.
So what are the points in favour of mandatory drug testing? What are the points that argue against this policy? Read on to learn the major arguments on both sides of this debate.
The Case for Mandatory Drug Testing for Unemployment Benefits
There are several points that come from the pro drug testing camp. The first one that is almost always mentioned is that it saves taxpayer money. Taxes shouldn’t be spent on people who then use that unemployment income to buy illegal drugs. That amounts to wasteful (and arguably immoral) spending of tax payer money.
This is followed up with the “personal responsibility” argument. This goes that unemployment benefits should be temporary hands up, not a long-term solution. The quickest way to get to this point is to push them to get the skills, education, and training they need to find employment once again.
The other arguments that follow tend to follow these lines of thought. Personal responsibility matters, so an employed tax payer shouldn’t pay for someone’s unemployment if they have been fired for drug use. Why reward that behaviour? If drug tests are required for employment then why shouldn’t they be for unemployment benefits?
Summary the pro-drug testing side comes down to:
The Case Against Mandatory Drug Testing for Unemployment Benefits
There are several arguments against mandatory drug testing, as well. One of the big ones is the fact that many real world examples of these programs show that drug use among welfare recipients is incredibly low (arguably because they don’t have the money for basics, much less drugs) and the testing programs have been terrible wastes of money.
In fact, in many state programs in the United States the results were so bad that governments refused to release the data. However based on gathered data, in 2015 $850,000 was spent testing 96,000 welfare applicants and resulted in a mere 321 positives across five states. This meant massive financial losses from the testing programs that spent 10x or more what they saved and many of those “positives” turned out to be dilution – meaning a person may simply have drunk too much water and not been on anything at all.
In every single example the state has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars even after savings from not paying benefits out was figured in.
From the psychological side, studies show shaming doesn’t work, however many charts have shown the long-term benefits anti-poverty programs like unemployment have had at a local, state, and national levels while areas that went the other direction have not shown a boost in people working their way out of poverty.
Finally, there’s the argument that those fired for cause (like drug use on the job) do not receive unemployment to begin with, and since those laid off paid in taxes in case they ever became unemployed, that is them simply claiming their rightful assistance when life situations dictate it.
Summary of the anti drug-testing camp come down to:
So What’s The Verdict?
Which of these cases (for or against) mandatory drug testing for unemployment benefits seems strongest to you and why?
This response will be awarded full points automatically, but it can be reviewed and adjusted after submission.
