Drug use is something I see often in my line of work, and solutions defy easy, knee-jerk reactions. The legislation in Florida may be well-intentioned, but you know the old saying about good intentions.
Last year a group of scientists in the UK classified drugs according to the harm they did to the individuals taking them as well as to others i.e someone besides the drug user. The drug causing most harm to others was, by a wide margin, alcohol. The drug classified as causing the most harm to users was heroin. The study was based on UK data, so the results may vary slightly depending on what country you're in. However, I suspect alcohol would be at or near the top everywhere. See
www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)61462-6/fulltext?version=printerFriendly
Let's return to the legislation in Florida. What drugs are they testing for? Do they test for alcohol - a legal drug which causes enormous harm? Do they test for marijuana - an illegal drug that causes little harm? Do they test for prescription drugs (which may have a legitimate use but are often abused)? I'm going to grossly stereotype...poor people use "street drugs" while middle and upper-class addicts (addicts come from all walks of life) abuse alcohol and prescription drugs.
What will Florida do with positive tests? Will they stop benefits? Addicts won't necessarily stop being addicts. They'll just find a different way to support their habit. Coming soon to your home, car, or neighborhood...an addict short on funds.