> legalizing it and providing the supply legally they could simply put an end to a lot of problems

To underscore this, the reason we have a heroin epidemic is because our solution to the preceding prescription opioid epidemic was to take away the pills.

Is this true? Congress made heroin illegal in 1924, 99 years ago, and the “heroin epidemic” didn’t really start until maybe 2010.

> Is this true? Congress made heroin illegal in 1924, 99 years ago, and the “heroin epidemic” didn’t really start until maybe 2010

Yes [1].

Law-abiding Americans became addicted to prescription opioids (wave 1). We clamped down on their distribution, particularly prescription, and left those addicted with no legal choices. They turned to heroin (wave 2). So we clamped down on its distribution, particularly import, and so got concentrated (easier to ship) and synthetic (no unique precursors) fentanyl (wave 3).

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/epidemic.html

You may not agree with the solution chosen but it seems as a society we've decided on death as the long term strategy. Eventually these addicts will simply die off.

New addicts will keep coming along, of course, until we stop making people so miserable that addiction feels preferable to ordinary existence.

Drug clinics work just fine, why go with the expensive option?

Even if you subscribe to this notion, you’re ignoring the billions it costs for emergency services so this addict can “die off”.

If you grow up in a community of drug users, chances are high you'll become one yourself

I'm sure having some of your family die off because everyone else seemingly deemed them as a worthless junkie whose only use is dying before they take up too much resource won't drive others to be miserable and start consuming drugs...

Thing is drug abusers will turn to the next thing and the next thing. You can only get abusers clean if you take them through a system that enables it. Decriminalizing doesn't improve it either. Like any drug there will be new inventions and flavors circulating.

Criminalization of drugs, but not of all substances is a must. Alcohol and marajuana are certainly okay. But again criminalization is the only way to ensure people get the attention they need. We just need to change the way we jail people.

In Thailand you get two options go to jail or go to a temple and get clean.

Hell no

So far their hasn't been much desire to FORCE these addicts into treatment (your last caveat).Portland is a disaster. They had 238 OD deaths in 2019. They're already up to 400 in 2023 and had 742 in 2022...When the bodies pile up it strains the local health system and creates backlogs with the coroner's office. I had a family member that lost their child to undiagnosed low-blood-sugar (MCAD) and I missed the funeral because the state had to hold onto the body for longer than anticipated because of these opioid deaths (I couldn't change my flight plans). They either have to force these people into treatment centers (European model) or they need to be thrown into jail. If that's not possible than dispense with the pleasantries and throw them into mass graves.