Florida Tries to Reduce Addiction With Drug Tests

The state of Florida recently passed a law that is going to require welfare recipients to pass drug tests in order to receive money from the government. There is hope that this law will decrease the amount of addiction to drugs and alcohol in Florida. However there is no evidence that drug testing is going to help someone put a stop to his or her addiction. In fact once addicted to either drugs or alcohol there likely isn’t much that will stop an individual who struggles with addiction from abusing drugs and alcohol. Once addicted to drugs and alcohol, addiction treatment of some sort is going to be needed. Addiction is a disease and it is highly unlikely that someone will be able to put a halting stop to it merely because they know they have to face a drug test. While some are able to stop their addiction on their own they are far are and few between. Most are going to need a medically supervised detox followed by addiction treatment where they can learn what needs to be done on an every day basis in order to protect their sobriety. If the primary purpose of Florida’s new law is to diminish the amount of addiction that is occurring then maybe the focus should be on providing more state funded addiction treatment centers and detox facilities. The best cure for addiction is through treatment and education. Even if drug tests get a person to stop their addiction to drugs it is highly unlikely they will be able sustain their sobriety without the right treatment.