No, I have no doubt they would but I never suggested they should be allowed to. I think the sale and quality should be heavily regulated, advertising still banned, and requirements made to be allowed to purchase it. Like age, and who knows, maybe going through some basic harm reduction training.

Certainly not advocating doing anything the way the US does it, in almost any respect. But the pharma thing is fundamentally a different issue. The reason people so easily become addicted to painkillers is because they're initially given for pain by someone they trust, while unbeknownst to them they've actually been given too much, for too long. In other words this is an issue of doctors abusing their authority.

Why don't I think it would get worse? Because of cultural norms. Legalising heroin won't make it cool and socially acceptable to use. People don't actually derive their social values solely from what happens to be legal.

Let me ask you a question. Why isn't everyone an alcoholic or a smoker? Why do they become rarer(in the west) despite those drugs being legal?

(Hint: the reason is cultural).