Has the percentage of people with drug additions really changed much over our history? Probably not very much. In the past they put narcotics in elixirs potions and alcohol has been around forever. In poor countries they sniff glue or whatever. What's changed is the impact those people have on the rest of us depending on how we decide to deal with the problem. Prohibition has massive unintended consequences that lead to things like outrageous profit incentives, stealing from you and me to pay for those profits, paying for additional law enforcement, diverting law enforcement resources from other crime, poisoned bootleg alcohol, complete disrespect for law, and growing on government property so their land won't be confiscated.
Ending prohibition "worked" in the sense that we deal with alcohol about as good as we can. It's a chronic problem, always has been, always will be.
Last edited by SierraNevada; 07/27/13 09:18 AM.
