“Quick, let’s legalize drugs so people will quit dying! /sarc”
People are dying from drugs while they’re illegal - not really a feather in the cap of the War on Drugs. And what kills some drug users is contaminants ... which are a result of their illegality just as sure as tainted ‘bathtub gin’ was a result of alcohol’s one-time illegality.
My point, which you clearly missed, is that the public attitude toward recreation drugs has become greatly relaxed over the past decade, with many states legalizing at least marijuana to some degree. And yet, we still see a sharp increase in drug-related health issues like additions and overdoses.
Kind of smashes the contention that marijuana isn’t a gateway drug, if you ask me.