Why We Should Not Have Drugtests for The Unemployed.

The assumption is that unemployed people do drugs.  It is demeaning to assume that the unemployed automatically do drugs and that they need to prove their purity. Yes, you must pass a drug test in order to work, however, there are many who are relapsing on their drug habits who may never fully kick the drug habit. I've been in situations to know about people who are crack addicts, meth addicts, heroin, cocaine and it's never a matter of if you relapse; It is a matter of when you relapse. By halting those who have serious addiction issues from getting jobs you directly impede the drug addicts' ability to work a job by simply screening them. If we were to allow those who have addiction problems to get a job even though they have addictions to speed, crack cocaine, heroin, etc. this will open up an entire new workforce that will help the economy, put drug addicts back to work and as they are busy working, they may not have so much time and pain to do drugs to escape. This will put them in a more powerful position in their life to inspire them to work harder (because now they can work without the fear of a drug test to pass. As I said, it's not a matter of IF you relapse, it's a matter of WHEN). Not only is this the logical, and best economical action to take, it is the morally just way to take action. Instead of punishing them for something that is not entirely in their control, reward them for their efforts to get a job with a job. This will give them more of a hold on their life, so that they will have a job to wake up to and work hard. They make money, they invest in products, and this stimulates the economy. People make mistakes and take wrong decisions, yes, you must live with your decisions, however you don't have a choice as to what situation you were brought up in, whether you were born into a lucrid family or a poverty stricken ghetto.

One assumption most don't know about, is that it is not a matter of if you relapse it is a matter of when. If you were born in a poverty stricken neighborhood where drugs are dealt and this was your way of escaping a world of violent gang shootings, in which a dear friend was shot to death, you might just buy a dime of marijuana to ease your nerves from the drive-by shootings outside your house. If you were to live in a neighborhood where your only solid deal for a meal was to go to the public school, and so you go to school solely for the meal as a young child why wouldn't you buy marijuana to de-stress? If you have never been educated about the effects of drugs in your life, because you are too young and ignorant, why wouldn't you partake in meth, cocaine, heroin?  These situations do occur! This happens every day in the most degenerate neighborhoods. If you have nothing, no money to your name, no job, no  food, no shelter, and the only way to rise out of it would be to get a job, and yet you can't kick a drug habit (it's very difficult, I knew people in hospitals de-toxing off  heroin and they all said it felt like dieing! Also many who are addicted to heroin would literally kill for more.) You can't kick a drug habit and the only thing stopping you from taking a job is a drug test, where does that leave you? Without a job, without a means to support yourself, back in hopeless poverty and back in dealing illegal drugs which could land you in jail for decades. If this is the situation you grow into adulthood in, how would you know to act differently to not sell drugs on the street corner, or to not take heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, meth?

Another assumption is that unemployed people aren't serious about getting back to work. This assumes that citizens are lazy, that they don't want to work to lift themselves out of poverty. People that are in tough situations fight and strive to rise above and work to their goals. This is the human condition for many people. They want a better situation for their lives and their children and grandchildren. How good could you feel about yourself if you don't even have the money to ensure a good college education for your children? If you want something better than a life in squalor? People are very serious about getting back to work to make money to help their kids and improve their own life and maybe that of a sweet significant other. Citizens wish to work, to improve their lives by making money.

There are unemployed people that do drugs recreationally however it is known that many people who are richer and have more resources are just as likely to do drugs as those who are unemployed. Especially since the affluent have more money to spend on hard drugs, such as cocaine. This puts an unfair advantage upon them, as they have had the good luck in this economy to have a job, and as such do not need a drug test.