Well, now the war on drug is over and we see that the harms from _not_ doing it are worse. In 2023, overdoses overtook gun and traffic deaths _combined_.

Surrendering to the drugs was a mistake.

Yeah, we should have changed tactics. Zero-tolerance policies were terrible nonsense, long prison terms were not helpful, and we should have clamped on prescription pills way sooner.

> but ineffective or counterproductive at eliminating drugs

It was effective in _controlling_ their level. And alternative approaches are just not working.