As a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, I am not opposed to drug and alcohol testing for welfare recipients.

Toxicology screening is used in a wide variety of settings where the public interest is involved.

The rationale in each case is that the public interest outweighs privacy concerns.

In the case of welfare recipients, the public interest at stake is that tax money not be spent without limit on people who are in need because of behavior that can and should be changed.

The key here is the phrase “without limit.” Addiction is a disease with genetic and biological causes.

The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Society of Addiction Medicine all have maintained this position for some time.

The genetic contribution to the development of addiction is estimated at about 40 percent. This is similar to the causal pattern for diabetes.

So people are not to blame for having the disease, but as with any disease they must ask for and use available help to recover. If they continue with behavior that could end the trouble caused by having the disease, they can and should be held accountable.

I would propose that all welfare recipients be screened, and if they show positive for drugs or alcohol, they should be required to get help as a condition for receiving welfare. As long as they are getting the help, benefits should be continued.

Whether they make reasonable progress should be left to the judgment of the professionals who treat the disease.

A personal note: In the 1960s, I was disabled with alcoholism and received help from Minneapolis General Assistance. If that help had not been available, I would have died. As it is, my last drink was in 1969. I thank them for tough love.

David Doreau

Waterville

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