The easier it is to be a drug addict, the more likely it will happen.
Ask yourself this question, Is it proper to advocate bad policies to "fix" the natural affects of other bad policies?
We currently live in a cradle to grave welfare society where life choices often have very little impact on financial outcome and quality of life. If you are from a less affluent upbringing, you can bust your ass for 60 hours a week doing a low skilled job only to drive home at night in your 8 year old vehicle to a 1000 sq ft apartment in a not so nice area of town. --OR-- you can sit on your ass all day getting high in your 1000 sq ft apartment in a not so nice area of town collecting welfare and food stamps and WIC and section 8, and fuel assistance and Medicaid.
The quality of life in these two scenarios is not that different.
IF we were to put strict drug testing requirements on public assistance and IF we made it uncomfortable to live that way, more people would avoid it just like in your 1700's England example.
To sum up, our BAD POLICY of cradle to grave welfare has created a disconnect between the life choices you make and your comfort in life. This has lead to a drug epidemic. So this again prompts the question, Is it proper to advocate bad policies to "fix" the natural affects of other bad policies?
Do we want to create a police state and give the government the authority to monitor what people do with their money, what they keep in their houses, what they put in their bodies, who they associate with, where they go, etc... so that we can "fix" the natural affects of the original bad policy?
BEAUTIFULLY WELL PUT!
And a police state will spread the misery around to EVERYONE, there will be no escaping it then.