The state of Tennessee issued a series of drug tests to applicants of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) over the summer of 2014, and defied conservatives’ assertions that welfare recipients are users and abusers.

Conservatives continue to raise the debate over whether or not people should receive government assistance because of their concerns about abuse of the system. They consistently talk about the need for drug testing applicants, as if the level of poverty people are in is correlated to their association with drugs.

In an earlier article, The Welfare Queen and All Her Luxuries, I explained the holes I found in conservative arguments for the welfare debate, and essentially announced that we are not, for the majority, subsidizing ‘laziness’.

In the summer of 2014, drug tests were given to those who stated in their TANF application that they have been using or used narcotics. If they answered ‘yes’ to any of the three questions related to drug use, they were to take a urine test, and had the potential to be stripped of their benefits for six months.

0.19 percent of 28,559 people who applied were drug users.

It’s incredible that our society insists that the people who need help with their finances are users of drugs and abusers of the system. Although some can take advantage of government assistance, it should not be a reflection of an entire population.

For example, many people argue that recipients of TANF and food stamps are jobless drug users. This myth was already debunked in Florida in 2011, with the state running the same drug tests as Tennessee last year. The percentage of drug users applying for assistance was roughly the same in Florida four years ago as it is now.

This total testing cost over $11,000 in Tennessee last year, excluding the cost of staffing. This is equivalent to $200 per drug test.

I think this is not only a waste of resources and staff hours, but also a waste of money. If only 0.19 percent of people tested positive for drug use, there isn’t much reason to insist every state use this process to weed out the abusers of the welfare system. It’s just not logical.

It's important that we take a look at the amount (or lack thereof) of compassion we have for those who need help providing for their families. This assistance is as temporary as it says it is, and those who are in need of help while they find stability deserve to feel like they are not being judged for asking for it.

I think this is proof of our society’s need to change the way we think about poverty. It’s not that people need help because they spend all their money on drugs, it’s that people genuinely need help.

Let's take a moment to discuss that.