I said my number was a WAG...Wild Arsed Guess...
I tried to guess the percentage of people I know who do and do not do drugs.
At church, smalll, about 50 people, I would not name a druggy among them.
At work, a few I could guess.
In the comedy scene, (do stand up), I would guess a majority abuse drug, at least pot.
In my immediate family, I know a super majority do illegal drugs.
Again, I do not abuse, nor have I ever abused drugs. I saw as a child what drug abuse does to a family.
Often, as a young child, I wished my brothers would OD because they were destroying my family. Any finances my mom saved were wasted in bail payments. Much of anything of value we had was "stolen" (my brothers claimed it was stolen, but I suspect they sold it for drug money).
And a particularly bad one. A ludicrously, hilariously bad one. You estimated that three times more people would die of overdose than die in the entire United States of all causes in a year.
Often, as a young child, I wished my brothers would OD because they were destroying my family. Any finances my mom saved were wasted in bail payments. Much of anything of value we had was "stolen" (my brothers claimed it was stolen, but I suspect they sold it for drug money).
Do you realize that this only bolsters the anti-prohibition case? Your mother's finances were wasted on bail money because the drugs your brother used were illegal. Had they been legal, your brothers wouldn't have been arrested, and no bail would have been necessary. Your family's possessions were fenced for drug money because drugs sell at black market prices... ridiculously overinflated. If your brothers were into booze rather than narcotics, they could have easily afforded their drug of choice through a regular income rather than having to steal.
"Often, as a young child, I wished my brothers would OD because they were destroying my family. Any finances my mom saved were wasted in bail payments. Much of anything of value we had was "stolen" (my brothers claimed it was stolen, but I suspect they sold it for drug money)."
I didn't mean to minimize the problem, I've known plenty of dopers. The question is how to deal with the ones that are over the edge. I think you can control the problem just as well by enforcing the laws against robbery, child abuse, etc. as having weak drug laws that are ignored 80% of the time.