There is ongoing controversy over whether welfare recipients should be required to undergo drug testing. Drug testing will ensure that recipients do not misuse the money given to them by the government. It is beneficial for people on welfare to be drug tested because it would save the system money, help social workers identify children who are using drugs, and deter people from buying and consuming illegal drugs. However, this has drawbacks because people taking prescription medications will show false positives, it can be an invasion of privacy, and drug testing can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Drug testing of people on welfare is beneficial because those who use drugs would no longer be on welfare, saving the system money. (Carpenter 1) With more than billions of dollars of public funds at risk of ending up in the wrong place or being spent on drug treatment, the least we can do is ensure that the money is put between good hands. “Every dollar spent on a welfare recipient's addiction is a dollar lost to a family that would have spent it on necessary items. » (Vitter 2) Taxpayer money should not be spent on drug treatment. (1) Some states must tighten welfare eligibility to cope with limited public budgets. It would be better if drug testing informed the government of those who are abusing the system. Drug testing can waste up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month on medications. Not only is this dangerous for their well-being, but it also harms the economy as we take on more and more debt. Once a state passes a drug testing law, it sends a message to other states and it makes sense for other states to pass the same law. this...... middle of paper ...... about drug testing. With so many people involved in this situation, this will guarantee the government's decision. Now it's up to government officials to make the right decision and forget about drug testing for welfare recipients. Works Cited Carpenter, Rachel. Should welfare or public assistance recipients be drug tested? April 28, 2010.Web. January 8, 2014. Magoon, Kekla. The welfare debate. Edina: ABDO Publishing Company. 2009. Print. Should welfare recipients be drug tested? US News & World Report. 2014: pages 1-2.Magazine.Vitter, David. Should welfare recipients be drug tested? December 15, 2011. Web. January 15, 2014. Walters, Jonathan. Should welfare recipients be drug tested? March 13, 2012. the web. January 8, 2014Welfare recipients are actually more likely to be white and less likely than the average American to use drugs. August 11, 2013. The web. January 15. 2014.