Wow... Good point

@Lucignolo It is--but does it mean that them being legal is why more people use & kill themselves with them? Or does it mean it's just silly to have much less lethal drugs be illegal while those 2 are killing thousands a year? Or, would people abuse the other drugs more if they were legal & start killing themselves at the same rate that alcohol & tobacco users do? I have NO idea....

@Carin More good points. Portugal decriminalized all recreational drugs including Heroin, Cocaine...

Apparently the number of all addictions, alcoholism included, went down. It doesn’t necessarily mean doing the same in the US would have the same results. The fabric of the American society is profoundly different from Portugal’s.

Alcohol is the most abused substance in the US. I think alcohol is the most abused substance partly because it’s legal. Although its consumption did not decrease during prohibition. I also think the fact it’s legal only after 21 contributes to the abuse. In Italy, where I was born and raised, wine was always on the table and I could have some if I wanted to. They made me try it as a kid, little tiny sips. When you have a cold some moms give you hot milk, brandy and honey before you go tos sleep. Works like a charm despite the fact milk is usually avoided in the US as it thickens mucus and phlegm. It does not increase production though.

All this to say I have no idea either. ?

@Lucignolo Maybe it's just another conspiracy thing, but I heard consumption actually did you down, as did admissions to asylums, during prohibition. I do believe the bootlegging made organized crime bigger though. Interesting about Portugal! I wonder how that made addictions drop?

I grew up partly in Germany & the same thing with the wine. I thought it tasted awful & still do!