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You probably would like to see us revert back to the days where one could purchase tincture of heroin at the chemist's.

We had less heroin abuse in those days than we do now.

"The stated goals of current U.S.drug policy -- reducing crime, drug addiction, and juvenile drug use -- have not been achieved, even after nearly four decades of a policy of "war on drugs". This policy, fueled by over a trillion of our tax dollars has had little or no effect on the levels of drug addiction among our fellow citizens, but has instead resulted in a tremendous increase in crime and in the numbers of Americans in our prisons and jails. With 4.6% of the world's population, America today has 22.5% of the worlds prisoners. But, after all that time, after all the destroyed lives and after all the wasted resources, prohibited drugs today are cheaper, stronger, and easier to get than they were thirty-five years ago at the beginning of the so-called "war on drugs"...Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
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You are right about that. In part, there was less abuse for three reasons (many others but these two are simple):
1. Less people/population. U.S. population just went to 300,000,000. It's up so significantly that even I can't help but notice. As in any good statistical comparison, one must take this into consideration - more people will always been more of any particular abberrant behavior.
2. Less disposable income back then - people didn't have nearly the amount of recreational cash that they do now, even though the Dems keep trying to say how bad-off we are now.
3. Morality was inculcated a lot more - while there will always be a criminal element and we all know about Al Capone, the great bootlegging criminals, and on and on, the fact is people back then were probably not as likely to just go start doing recreational drugs.

P.S. Don't start using the bit about the alcoholic women who'd go to those travelin' men selling all the "aids" since they did that out of ignorance, thinking it was medicine or herbal or good. They weren't taking a DRUG because they wanted some supernatural feelings, or feelings of euphoria.

P.S.S. In spite of our disagreements, you seem like a very nice person, so I respect you for that.