It is interesting reading about addictive substances, learning the positives and negatives about them.
I'm personally of the opinion from the articles I've read that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol is healthy and will even extend life. With that said, alcohol abuse is a health problem for the abuser and also for those around him/her. I've often though the old prohibitioners were right about fighting against alcohol drinking as that would lead to less disease and crime. The problem of course with prohibition was how leaders went about trying to stop drinking. Alcohol addicts can and often do live long lives. This is in contrast to those addicted to other substances seen today such as meth. Meth addicts I believe live on average 7 years I've read. Other drugs can have similar poor health effects on users.
Tobacco has it's plusses and minuses too. Something some weight loss researchers will point out is that some smoke tobacco to help keep their weight down. Since the war on tobacco in the 1980s, tobacco smoking has decreased but in return our waist line have ever increased. Tobacco smoking is another addictive substance that people can use and live a long life.
Opium addiction and what happened in China in the 19th century is tragic reading. Opium addiciton in China is felt by some writers to have led to wide spread poverty, crime, war. Millions died in China due to opium addiction, and millions suffered due to the drug.
Overall I feel a big short fall that we face is the lack of good and new ideas to fight and overcome addiction. Most addicted people at some point in their lives want to stop taking addictive substances. Sadly, most addiction therapy ideas are not effective. I believe with alcohol addiction therapy success rate is 8%, with most of the 8% being middled aged guys, with jobs and families. There are newish ideas that can help with overcoming addiction but are overlooked and not used by the medical community.
One addiction substance crusader that was having success with patients was Dr. Meg Patterson. Her electric stimulation device helped many famous rock musicians such as Pete Townshend of the Who, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, etc stop taking multiple addictive substances. (Similar devices are used today for helping with those with depression but not addiction issues.) is While Dr. Patterson had success, and she received lots of positive press in the UK, the medical community largely didn't use her methods to help other addicted people.
A little on Dr. Patterson's method can be read in her book:
Hooked? Net: The New Approach to Drug Cure
https://www.amazon.com/Hooked-Net-Approach-Drug-Cure/dp/0571135145
This tells the story of NET - a revolutionary cure for drug additions. In this remarkable book Dr. Meg Patterson writes of the background to her discovery, her painstaking research and the extraordinary results, which at last offer real hope for addicts. The treatment is fascinating and effective. Using a tiny electrical current tuned to various frequencies, NET (NeuroElectric Therapy) stimulates the production of several body chemicals - including endorphins, the body's natural opiates - enabling addicts to any drug to detoxify with only minimal withdrawal symptoms. Writing from her wide experience with addicts in Asia and the West, Dr. Patterson also stresses the crucial importance of solving the basic psycho-spiritual problems leading to addiction. Rock stars Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Pete Townshend, as well as hundreds of other ex-addicts from all strata of society and countries, testify to the success of NET. With a worldwide drug problem of frightening proportions, Hooked? reveals a solution-if the battle against government apathy and medical establishment distrust can be won. "It's so simple . it's a little metal box with leads that clip onto your ears and in two or three days - which is the worst period for kicking junk - in these 72 hours it leaves your system." Keith Richards "This book should be standard reading in any modern educational system." Sean Connery