Utah Checked Almost 5,000 People On Welfare For Drugs And The Results Almost Made Me Throw Something

I wonder what Utah thought they’d find when they implemented mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients? After spending $25,000, I doubt this was it. The moral of the story? I’d say the “sketchy drug addict” narrative that continues to be assigned to people on government assistance isn’t really that accurate … or fair.

By

Franchesca Ramsey

Aug 11, 2014

CORRECTION: A previous version of the top chart said 12 out of almost 5,000 welfare recipients in Utah failed a drug test. According to the AP story, Utah gave 4,730 applicants a written test. After 466 showed “a likelihood of drug use,” they were given actual drug tests, which 12 failed. We’ve corrected the headline and the first chart and made the second chart above to reflect that.

Add to Google News

More for You

Education

Young high school teacher’s response to getting hit on by students sets a brilliant example

community, happiness, international study, social connection

Mental Health

A study across 66 countries identified 5 things the happiest communities have in common

Conservation

‘Old Ladies’ are free-diving on Cape Cod. They’ve excavated 6,000 pounds of trash.

sensory bags, Salt Lake City PD, police, autism

Wholesome

Utah police officers respond to an assault call with a sensory bag. The result speaks volumes.

Parenting

Woman grieving her mom’s death shows how surreal it is to parent with a broken heart

By subscribing, you accept beehiiv's Terms of Use & Privacy Policy. Our site's Privacy Policy applies.

Featured

All Featured Stories →

mix tape, gen x, cassette tapes, obsolete tapes, old-school tapes, music

Generations

Millennial history teacher explains the 3 phases of Gen X and why they were ‘forgotten’

Tod Perry & Upworthy Staff

moving to Spain, leaving the U.S., gun safety, parenting, intruder drills, LunaGoestoSpain, TikTok, viral video, expat, quality of life

Family

Dad describes the moment he realized he couldn’t raise his daughter in the United States

Tod Perry & Upworthy Staff

90s, 90s misconceptions, 90s true and false, 90s history, 90s nostalgia, reddit, ask reddit history

Pop Culture

Adults who lived through the 90s share 15 things we all misremember about the decade

Heather Wake & Upworthy Staff

Life Hacks

I spent a week chatting with people over 80. Here are 4 pieces of wisdom they shared.

Cecily Knobler & Upworthy Staff