It is all much more complicated. Alcoholism affects mostly adult population, while drugs is mostly problem of adolescents. Sure, young are also getting drunk ro

It is all much more complicated. Alcoholism affects mostly adult population, while drugs is mostly problem of adolescents. Sure, young are also getting drunk routinely, but it affects them much less, and habit isn't that strong. A typical adult in Russia has so ruined, that he needs very small dosage and it affect him so heavy, transforms to almost an animal state. Young also have less tendency to abandon everything and just drink for weeks - they has much deeper social ties. Drugs, on the other hand, creates fast and much stronger addiction, they also changes the mind, the attitude towards the world and life itself much deeper. Another important factor is that dopers die very quickly, and you cannot see them suffering on the streets as you could see drunks whenever you happen to look. Usually, only close relatives have involved in a tragedy and it doesn't last too long - a year, on average, while drunkards could survive for decades.. So, problem is here. "War on drugs", is, of course, way to steal more money, not to offer any help with causes. Government is involved because it affects their interests. A totalitarian state needs a cheap, unskilled workforce to build an assets and create wealth for the top-tier, but it need them sane and healthy. They cannot recruit sick slaves to serve in Army or to work on a construction sites. That is why there is a this "war on drugs" posters on the every wall. And of course no body cares what older population does. If they going to die from alcoholism - that good for the government - less pension spending. This is just a very rough outlook.)