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Forced drug testing is dangerous public policy "Imagine if an elderly loved one were thrown off her Medicare because she tested positive for diabetes. Sound impossible? For the family and friends of Wisconsinites suffering from drug issues, a dreadful scenario such as this could become reality.

Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to drug test people receiving BadgerCare and other public programs flies into the teeth of the consensus among experts that substance misuse is a medical condition.

In the 19th century, diseases such as cancer and influenza were often blamed on the moral failings of the afflicted. Now we know better. Rather than heaping scorn upon the victims of serious illnesses, we treat them with modern medicine.

Over the last two decades, the scientific progress on how we treat physical diseases has been extended to drug and alcohol use. Doctors and other health care experts use the term "substance use disorder" when referring to drug and alcohol-related health issues. Research has firmly established substance use disorders as medical conditions to be prevented and treated as early as possible.

Forced drug testing for people on public programs turns back the clock by reinforcing outdated images of those battling with substance use disorders. From a medical point of view, it would be like requiring tests for cancer or heart disease, and then throwing anyone who tests positive off health coverage........"