With Drug Testing?

Now, I have seen this particular photo floating around on Facebook:

What a headline right? Welfare drug testing saves money in the state of Utah. Here's a video from +The Young Turks  on that very story:

 

Here's the kicker however, according to a report from the Associated Press the whole whopping twelve people being confirmed drug users does not mean they will be denied benefits. They will be required to enter substance abuse treatment. So despite being confirmed users these people will still get benefits anyway.

Why is society insistent on trying to frame the poor as lazy do-nothing American Citizens because of drug use? Don't believe me? Here's one post from Facebook after seeing the headline:

Post by Delia Payne.

So here's the context according to the people who believe this is so very important: Drug users get benefits to buy drugs, this law stops that (or so they think). However substance abusers still need drugs, because they are addicted. Do you think they will stop finding ways to get drugs even without benefits? Don't you think they would probably go about doing illegal things to get those very substances, potentially increasing the crime rate, and filling up prisons even more. That is within the context of what some people believe the intention of the law is. How do you the solve problem if you are so worried about drug abusers receiving benefits? My opinion, legalize drugs and regulate them. End this non-sense War on Drugs. With over 45 million people in poverty according to Reuters. 22 million "abusers" and about 18 million are smoking marijuana according to drugabuse.gov. What drug is being used by such a large  part of the population that using drug testing is a must? I digress, back to this headline in Utah.
Not pushing in the headline that even if you are a confirmed substance abuser you can still receive benefits is entirely misleading. Why would you want to misguide your readers into thinking they won't get help from the state? They just might use that money to buy your news publication. Instead of encouraging people who need help to receive benefits from the state, the press bought right into the scare tactics trying to be used when lawmakers put the provision into their law. What the hell happened drug testing? Despite what the headlines try to do, it does nothing. People can still get help...for now.