Drug Policy Alliance

Friend,

Uprooting the Drug War exposes the consequences of the drug war in nearly every sector of civil life – education, employment, housing, child welfare, immigration, and public benefits.

This month we’re digging deeper into how the drug war has taken root in the public benefits system. Visit our site to learn more and register for our webinar on May 26.

Twisted drug war logic inappropriately brands all people who use drugs and people suspected of using drugs as lazy, irresponsible, not deserving of any public assistance, and disproportionately targets low-income people and communities of color.

This has led to people being denied critical public benefits necessary for health and well-being through mandated drug testing and other drug war tactics.

Even though drug testing for benefits is ineffective, expensive, and harmful to families in need, it's required for welfare and food stamp applicants in many states. And people with felony drug convictions are sometimes automatically denied or have limited access to these crucial benefits.

Denying public benefits based on a drug test or conviction cuts off the very services that can help families out of poverty and preserve entire communities that are already wracked by economic and social insecurity.

Not having basic resources like food and housing leads to negative impacts on nutrition, housing, health, and financial stability, and it may actually contribute to increased substance use disorder rates. Despite this, policies that deny people benefits persist across the country.

Over 25% of states require welfare applicants to submit to drug testing. Almost all of the states who test welfare applicants have passed laws allowing agencies to deny benefits to any applicant who refuses the test.
Nine states permanently bar people with felony drug convictions from welfare benefits and one does for food stamps. Over half of states have instituted modified bans to limit welfare and food stamp eligibility for people with felony drug convictions.
In 2016, less than 1% of people applying for welfare in states that require drug screening and testing ultimately tested positive. These states collectively spent more than $1 million dollars enforcing these policies in that year.

Instead of shutting people out based on a drug test or conviction, we should ensure that everyone has the basic resources they need to achieve financial stability.

Register for our webinar on May 26 to learn more about how the drug war has restricted access to public benefits and what we can do about it.

To truly end the drug war, we need to uproot it from public benefits and all other systems.

Sincerely,

Kassandra Frederique
Executive Director
Drug Policy Alliance