This is a very good question on a deep level. In Thailand, especially when we are in Bangkok, I make sure that I have coins in my pocket for different beggars on the street. For people where the Dukkha is very easy to see, with one arm, one leg, no fingers, whatever, I just give. For a young healthy man, I don't give them any coins but I still give. Because I can speak Thai, I advise him to go to a monastery and work. He doesn't have to become a monk but he should go and work there so he can develop himself and not be on the street. Normally he will be embarrassed because he knows he should not be on the street begging, and he has this option open to him.
But when there is no leg, no fingers, whatever, man or woman, I just give.
Now in the West lots of beggars are quite healthy people. I was cleaning up some of my papers before this retreat and I came across a newspaper clipping. I have had it for about 10 years but I had not seen it for awhile. It was about a man whose nickname was "Gloves". He had just died and it was his obituary in a newspaper, and it was quite big. Because of the deeds that earned him the nickname "Gloves," he deserved a bigger obituary. For many years, maybe 20, 30, I don't recall, in, I think, New York City, he walked the streets every winter giving gloves to beggars. Ok, so the question was "Is it possible to develop generosity giving to beggars even if I know or assume that they are drug addicts or alcoholics? Do drug addicts and alcoholics need gloves in the middle of winter in New York City? Yeah. But if you give them money, what are they likely to do with it? Go and get more drugs, more alcohol. So, to consider the receiver is very important. If you give somebody something and they just waste it, it is still generosity, you still gave something, but it didn't produce as beneficial a result as that same money could, as in this example, giving them an article they need, such as gloves. So how does Right View and Intention apply here? Right View understands if I give this person money, the money is going to go into alcohol, drugs. If I give this person gloves, it will keep them warm.