New Brunswick — The Picture Province will be the first in the country to roll out mandatory drug testing for anyone collecting employment insurance benefits.
A curious crowd of reporters were slack-jawed as Service Canada VP Mary Waycott delivered the surprise announcement this morning. “Starting February 10th, E.I. reporting will be done in person accompanied by a urine sample,” she explained. “The rules and regulations are quite simple: if you are found to have an illegal substance in your system, your E.I. benefits will be immediately suspended.”
Service Canada’s press release was accompanied by a pamphlet (available on their website: servicecanada.gc.ca) to better educate New Brunswick residents on the details of the program.
The informative bilingual pamphlet lists dozens of drugs as illicit, even some of the more fun ones including: cocaine, phencyclidine, opiates, amphetamines (methamphetamines), ecstasy (MDMA) and heroin (6-acetyl morphine).
Individuals using regulated methadone programs as well as medical marijuana cardholders will be tested accordingly and funds won’t be suspended.
The next reporting day, Feb. 10, will be a busy one for Service Canada locations across the province. Their reputation for an inability to act in a timely manner on most anything has skeptics of the program worried. Some, like Perry Harris, a seasonal fisherman from Shediac and lifetime marijuana user, are outraged at the initiative as a whole. “Marijuana is not a drug,” Harris said. “It’s a way of life for me and the old lady during the off-season.”
The announcement leaves drug users little time to get clean before testing. Health Canada suggests mass consumption of water and cranberry juice, taking lots of over-the-counter niacin, or bribing a kid for their clean urine as methods to rid the body of the listed banned substances.
This is a bunch of BS why should people be denied their benefits that they paid into all these years because they smoke pot that is going against their human rights!!.
why do they take $ off your check b4 drug testing. If positive you shouldn’t have to pay into it either esp pot. Are they doing this for alcohol and cigarettes, they are also drugs(that the govt. makes $ on). Sounds like they are picking and choosing which drug they deem to be against THEIR rules. If the pot smokers didn’t have to pay into the system it would prob. go broke pretty fast
It’s simple. People stop abusing the E.I. system and then these laws wouldn’t exist.
Also, how many people do you know go on E.I., don’t find another job and lay around the house because they’re too busy smoking cigarettes?
Last, this website is a satire.
this is a joke you idiots, are you people for real, get out of your cell phones, open your minds and focusssssssssssssssssss.
Need I remind you pot is an illegal drug. This is awesome for canada!
This is also a fake article, but yeah, good for Canada.
They aren’t I have no idea where this guy got his info. The only province to regulate their own employment insurance is Quebec. Employment insurance is federally regulated.
I realize this is totally satire but I do think it’s about time people living their life on welfare should be tested before they get their handout!
Drugs are a physical & mental healthcare problem. Whether provided via Rx or from a friend, anybody taking anything, even drinking coffee in the morning, are simply using a ligand, alkaloids in nature, compounds from a scientific lab. They are no different. These compounds exist for us healthwise.
A hammer can be use to build shelter, or kill somebody. Let’s ban all hammers because some people are idiots.
Drug testing for welfare is insidious. Financial support and ones choice with it, even if buying drugs, well, thats that individuals perogative, otherwise you are forcing ‘your’ perspective upon others, and ultimately, for what? Are you out to save the world, its inhabitants or fluff your own ego. “Those dirty despicable, good for nothing drug users”. Your own health just might make a “user” out of you so chill and just do you let others do whatever if no harm to others come from thier actions, and do not blame drugs for an idiots decision, they chose with their thoughts, the drugs dont “make people do bad things”.
Are you one of those people who gets angry listening to music? Stop caring what others are or arent doing so much.
If they are doing this to people that work and pay into it then why not people on social assistance?
don’t nail the working person that got layed off nail the basterd that doesn’t want to work who is on welfare!!!!
Exactly !!!!!!
Is this going to Far… perhaps we should be drug testing our POLITICIANS!!!!! WE might be very surprised at that!!!!!
Not sure about EI getting hit with this thats an insurance policy you pay into However anyone being paid by the government IE police, teachers, gov employees etc.. should be tested to keep there jobs and the people on Social assistance Disability and welfare!!!!
Pretty sad that they put this stipulation on EI telling you what you can do on your off time. Better test for booze also cause its worse then weed.
yes test politicians
!!!! suspended there pay checksOOOOO Noo cant do that !!!!
Should it not be the rule for all? Politicians, doctors, lawyers, social workers, all employees in every field …. drivers , machine operaters, and let us not forget those collecting welfare. And what about alcohol? Where does it begin and where does it end? You cannot have one icolated goup to be tested and not test everyone else!
I’m 22 and have had a job since I was 14, that’s seven years I’ve been paying EI off every paycheck and now if I need it I won’t be able to get the money I paid because I smoke pot? How is that fair? I am not hurting anybody by smoking it, I don’t drive, I go to work everyday, I also go to school everyday, and I pay ALL my bills on time. What about the people abusing prescription drugs? Or the smokers or alcoholics? I function the way I do because pot calms down my severe social anxiety, helps with my chronic headaches and this allows me to go to work and school everyday.
Oops bad math 8 years not 7.
We can talk/ complain/ and write about this situation and others like it; which have been brought to us by our ‘friendly neighbourhood’ communist/fascist liars[politicians].But until we open our eyes & stand up and realize The People rule; we the humans will systematically have freedom dissolve before our very eyes. Just wait till Bill c51 is implemented. The militarized police forces of this ‘eden’ we call Canada, will have broad sweeping powers to do as there see fit if you are considered an ‘enemy of the state’. They only have this power because we choose to do nothing about it. The time is NOW. If these folks who are making these laws/rules and regulations were truly concerned about the health & welfare of the very people that are employing them[tax payers]. The first item that should be delivered to the table and monitored is refined white sugar[white death].Truly one the most devastating poisons in our food system.
This whole situation seems to be centered around control. When the few are making the laws for the many; the few start to live in fear at the thought of the many becoming open eyed and conscience. Lets not live in, lets just be the life we are; and live…………….
Why are they doing this to hard workers who put in the time, effort and money to receive access to these benefits… Yet you have people on the welfare system or excuse me social assistance who sit around and do nothing and use all forms of drugs while the same people who are being drug tested right now pay for them to be on the assistance … this is completely absurd as totally ass backwards….a big round of applause to our government for, yet again, screwing over the hard working people of Canada!
You know this isn’t real, right?
how about people on welfare too…
I have read all the comments and although I will concede that it is wrong for this sort of conduct to be applied to anyone who has to draw EI benefits. I really don’t think it is legal and perhaps it would be wise to have a labor lawyer look at the legality of it all.
I really don’t believe that people should be brow beating anyone Social Assistance. Yes, I would venture to guess that there are people on this Assistance spending money on drugs. But do you really think it fair to say ” all those on Social Assistance are drug users”. Just by implying this ..makes you as bad as the person who says that those on EI are all drug users.
We all know this is not really the issue here. Aren’t you playing in the hands of the Government that by trying to divert the EI tests for the Social Assistance being tested instead. I feel your view has to be narrowed down to..” Yes it is about time we test anyone receiving Government cheques or “No ! it is wrong to put any recipient of Government Cheques through this harassment “. Remember, we are all Canadians and we “all” must live under the same laws.
THIS IS A SATIRE SITE, I needed to caps this because clearly people are taking this really seriously and spreading it on facebook. lol
Man oh man. How do some of these people function without walking in front of a bus or subway every day…
Satire folks. As in fake freakin news. Smh.
You all are gullible idiots..smh. Did you even read the article?? “Health Canada suggests mass consumption of water and cranberry juice, taking lots of over-the-counter niacin, or bribing a kid for their clean urine as methods to rid the body of the listed banned substances.” … Like really?
Some people like to go on an extended vacation while on ei. Yes you pay into it and it’s yours but as such. Insurance won’t make money if your collecting it. Look at it this way. If insurance can screw you out of your money they will. You want to impress me. Drug test welfare recipients.
This is BS at least people who get EI worked for it how about start testing these life time welfare recipients first
do not fall in there bull shit fight them all the way fucken assholes
Notice that its the potheads/rest of the druggies that are totally fooled by the article. Probably because their brains are filled with nothing but bong resin.
They should start with welfare recipients
I think this is a joke! We pay into ei off our income we work hard for. I think this should be for people that collect welfare and disability as that is not something we pay Into except our tax paying dollars. I agree in some sense though cause if you can afford these habits then you should work to pay for them. If it’s medically needed then I don’t agree with them being cut off! But seriosuly, there are more abusers on welfare and disability then there is on EI! Our government needs to give their head a shake!
This LITERALLY IS a joke. OMG PEOPLE.
If they want to save money…. How about making the politician’s take a lie detector test!!! Thieving bastards… 50% of the population smoke’s dope who cares
Great the ppl that work for it get screwed the ppl that abuse it keep it, oh here goes the Canadian justice system at its finest..!!
THIS IS BULL. Who wrote this article a monkey.
There telling you to use someone else’s urin for a sample if you have an iligal substance in your body.bunch of idiots.make them pee there…
Then welfare people should be tested before there checks to. Atleast we have to work to get ei which means we were atleast somewhat productive. Or not take it off my pay cause i dont need it much rather not pay for it.
eis a joke my dad went down from a heart attack and there dicking him around not paying him
They should be bugging the ppl on welfare not the hard working ppl
Making new laws to remove funding from poor people or those in need is never something I could ever in good conscience condone. Thank god this is fake news. How people think this is OK is beyond me. And I don’t even do any drugs at all. Still drug testing is actually illegal in Canada and even the idea that companies can prescreen for employment is unconstitutional. This is a very disturbing mindset. Marijuana is only illegal because of the trillions of dollars per year governments make off of the legal system. This is the same fight we all fought in the 30s against alcohol. Legalize drugs and stop making stupid laws. The idea should be to start erasing stupid laws not racing to make more stupid laws. Ei fraud is a false cause. The qualification process for ei is very strict and will eliminate claimants who do not qualify. The process for claiming ei eliminates the fraud everyone talks about. If you pay for the service, and need the service, then you qualify to get the service. The stigma against using ei is really apathetic. If someone crashes your car do you not get car insurance? I swear these stigmas are created by insurance companies to scare weak minded people from using the very services they pay billions to have. It’s preposterous. Please very one. Take a minute and think before you precipitate more apathy in the world.
That’s bull shit. People have earned that money what they do on there on time is know one business. Welfare that is an area that needs some attention.
People, if it seems to ludicrous to be true, check the source:
DISCLAIMER:
ALL content (including likenesses, quotes, figures, facts, etc.) hosted on this website and associated social media accounts are fictitious and satirical and should not be taken seriously.
Seriously!
They’ll do this to people that actually work but they won’t test people on welfare
OK so then if your insurance is “suspended” then when is the suspension lifted? Are the employment insurance payments now void? If the government is revoking insurance payments then the people should have the choice of paying the premiums. After all it is employment insurance, it is not mandatory to have this insurance to work, however WCB is mandatory. Sounds like people’s rights are being violated. You have to pay these premiums but the insurer does not have to pay a settlement. Scam. Scam. Scam.
You know this isn’t real, right?
This is ridiculous! We pay the money we worker hard for! If it’s like that now, no need to pay to E.I, they want to screw the people over to put more money in their friends pocket. It is discrimination no other word. Who are these people are serving anyways? Not the workers obviously.
If this is true its the dumbest crap I’ve ever read …drug tests for EI yet no drug test for welfare recipients… 60% of people on welfare are junkies
buy from the government and get your free pass
I hope you guys are testing all the people on welfare as well why do the working people that get laid off have to suffer compared to some who are just to lazy to work
you do realize that this is not real , I hope . Its a joke
I’am a small business owner who pays for and into EI along with all employees and the government has the fricken balls to make the working man take a drug test for his money bullshit…. But its ok for the free loaders on welfare to use taxpayers money so then can sleep in everyday go gambling buy drugs, cigarettes and liquor and that is ok.
OMG PEOPLE. THIS IS A GODDAMN JOKE! PLEASE STOP FOR A MINUTE AND THINK ABOUT THINGS BEFORE YOU GET YOUR PANTIES IN A KNOT. /endrant
The fact that this discussion is even happening is mind blowing to me. Is the government really this stupid? You deduct money off of the working persons pay cheque so that they have paid in to employment benefits in case anything should jeopardize their employment they have some relief from stress. Yet you’ll hand out monthly pay cheques to people who don’t work, having paid into any programs and who 80% of the people I know collecting assistance (welfare) are spending the tax payers money on all the wrong things. Such as drugs and partying. Isn’t the more obvious question here, “why are we not forcing welfare recipients to find work?” why are we not forcing people in welfare to be tested? They haven’t paid for anything or into anything to receive those benefits. Not to mention most that I know are making a carreer out of sitting on welfare because the government is a joke and allows it. I’m ashamed by this article and ashamed of the morons that made this desicion. You’re not at all focussed on the important matter. If you want to save money stop paying welfare recipients to sit on their asses collecting their free money monthly only to go out and spend it on partying and drugs. I’m disgusted. I’ve seen this happening for far too long and the fact that people have more rights on welfare then a person does on employee insurance is appalling to say the least. Start drug testing welfare recipients and watch the results as they come back positive time after time. Sickened. Get a grip. Stop taking from the working people and start taking from the bums and lazy asses who do nothing but suck the economy dry of its resources.
This is a news satire website.