My point is that we effectively did this for a couple decades with oxycodone and hydrocodone… the result has been disastrous.
We can probably keep more existing addicts alive by full legalization, but we pretty much invite a huge wave of new folks who will spend the rest of their lives with an opiate dependency.
As a sibling noted, I think the takeaway from oxy is a lot more complex. I don’t think many people are dying from prescription meds, I think most are dying when they go to the black market to service their addiction when they cannot get prescriptions, or cannot afford them.
For example if you want oxy, it’s very expensive on the black market, and so many end up taking fentanyl instead, which is more dangerous even if you have known purity medical grade, and is extremely dangerous when purchased on the black market with variable and unknown purity.
So in summary, I really strongly disagree that “we effectively did this”. The decriminalization program has not been seriously tried for opiates anywhere outside Portugal (where it didn’t cause an increase in usage, and did result in decreased harm).
We can probably keep more existing addicts alive by full legalization, but we pretty much invite a huge wave of new folks who will spend the rest of their lives with an opiate dependency.