Yes. Both cigarettes and alcohol are addictive but cigarettes don't impair your thinking or judgement like alcohol does. Alcohol is also the #1 societal problem in America, Russia, Britian, and countless other countries where it is sold. And being an adult doesn't make you a person who thinks he/she is in control of self-medicating themselves with alcohol or narcotic drugs. It simply does not work, period!!
So actonbell, do you think that legalizing all drugs will add to the current drug problem we have today, will it be the same, or will it be less. I think the answer here is a no brainer. It would multiply 1000 fold or better. 80-90 years ago, not much was known about the problems these over-the-counter drugs were causing. Today, we live in a high tech world where everything is documented, studied, and scrutinized. If there is a documented problem with a specific drug, what's the solution? We know so much more about every drug today than we did then and that's why the controls are in place. They are there to protect society as a whole. Consider safety in the workplace and legal suits when someone dies as a result of someone on drugs. Think about how weak our country would be if half the population was narced and drunk all the time. Narcotics impair your thinking and your judgement. That's why there is drug testing in th workplace. Good luck finding work. Leagalizing drugs would encourage, not discourage, drug abuse.