>>most users begin with alcohol<<
Try marijuana.
>>I don't know anyone who as they began to drink alcohol trivialized the risks of heroin.<<
Whether they trivialized it or not isn't the issue. They didn't plan on becoming addicted to anything. They planned on a high, and that was it. Pretty soon, they have a habit.
>>better we pay their room and board than they use drugs? Sounds liberal to me.<<
Again, this isn't the issue. You suggested there was no link between decriminalization and increased use. That's absurd, and you damn well know it.
>>despite the extensive damage done to buzz-seeking drinkers<<
This is an assumption. And again, you are missing the point: alcohol can be kept entirely non-illicit. Sure it can be abused, but paint, markers, hair spray, and the like can be abused. There's only one use for heroin, LSD, etc.
>>the legality of alcohol is justified by these other trivial uses? That's a very weak argument.<<
To you, anything logical is going to sound weak because you are making little sense. When a particular use of a product is the majority use, how can that use be trivial?
Don't respond unless you can stay on issue and make more sense. Your post is mostly silly.
Very few marijuana users go on to use heroin. You have yet to support your claim that many people are undeterred from heroin use by its inherent risks but are deterred by legal penalties.
You suggested there was no link between decriminalization and increased use. That's absurd
No, it's only 99% true. I'll grant you that while in prison a drug user is less likely to use ... but the increased use due to not imprisoning them would be minor and well worth the savings in tax dollars and/or prison space.
alcohol can be kept entirely non-illicit. Sure it can be abused,
What's the difference between "illicit use" and "abuse"? I don't see your point here.
but paint, markers, hair spray, and the like can be abused.
I'm sure the abuse-to-use ratio is much higher for alcohol than for those products. If hair spray abuse was as great a problem as alcohol abuse is, arguing that abuse-only substances should be banned but hair spray should not would be as feeble as your alcohol argument is.
When a particular use of a product is the majority use
I'd love to see evidence that intoxicating use of alcohol is a minority use; my observation is the opposite.
Current drug users weren't deterred by legal penalty, so they are not evidence against my statement, "I strongly doubt that there are many people who are not deterred by the threat of addiction and fatal overdose but are deterred by legal penalty."