North Carolina revealed early results on Tuesday from a round of drug tests given to those applying for or living with the help of welfare. From the 7,600 recipients and applicants given an initial screening, social workers referred only 2% for drug testing. That amounted to 89 people. Of those 89, 21 people tested positive for drugs, representing less than 0.3% of the total number of those screened.
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Social workers decide who to test based on drug history. Anyone who has used drugs in the past year or was convicted of a felony drug crime in the past three years gets tested.
If adult applicants and recipients miss an appointment or test positive for drugs, the state may cut off their benefits. Some receive reduced benefits if they have children.
Of the 21 people who tested positive for drugs, 12 of them will receive reduced benefits because they take care of children in need of support.
State legislators enacted the law in 2013 for anyone receiving or applying for benefits from Work First, a state-run program that provides money, family support and training. After an initial delay in implementation, tests began in late 2015, according to The News and Observer.
Poster Comment:
LOL, liberal math.