One of the key federal government ministers wanting to drug test new welfare recipients has confirmed he smoked marijuana when he was younger.
Social Services Minister Christian Porter - who wants to test thousands of new welfare entrants for illicit substances including ice, ecstasy and marijuana - has been quizzed about his own drug-taking past.
"I'm on the record as saying I did try marijuana as a very young youth but that was it," Mr Porter told ABC radio on Thursday evening.
"I think I might well have (inhaled) but it was a long, long time ago."
Under the Turnbull government's plan, sewage will be tested to find areas of high drug use, which will then be selected as trial sites for testing 5000 Newstart and Youth Allowance recipients.
Anyone who tests positive will be moved onto cashless welfare cards with their payments "quarantined", while those who fail more than once will be referred to medical professionals for assessment and treatment.
Welfare lobby groups have argued that the approach will demonise recipients and treat them like criminals.
But Mr Porter says the measures are designed to identify those struggling and help them get their lives back together.
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