> As someone who used to naively believe in legalizing all drugs for recreational use, this addiction epidemic has opened my eyes to why that's a horrible idea.

> As someone who used to naively believe in legalizing all drugs for recreational use, this addiction epidemic has opened my eyes to why that's a horrible idea. You may be surprised to learn that opium and cocaine used to be sold widely at pharmacies over the counter. Curiously, there was not a widespread "epidemic" of addiction. Why is that? Alcohol and nicotine are legal and ubiquitous, where are the epidemics of their addiction? Curiously, smoking has been declining despite it being widely available and very addictive. Blaming the existence of a substance for addiction, and then harassing doctors and patients as a result, is nearing the height of absurdity.