I believe that in a free society, a sane adult (21 and over) should be able to make decisions for their own actions even if it is a dangerous or stupid decision. They should be able to ride motorcycles without helmets, not have to wear a seat belt, be able to drink or use drugs in their own home, all without Government or Law Enforcement intervention or regulation. As long as an action by a person affects only themselves or another sane adult that chooses to be affected, the law has no place in their private business.

Virtually everyone believes in drug use, and equally so, everyone is against drug abuse.  To make a substance with medicinal properties illegal simply because it has a propensity for addiction and abuse is a ridiculous and hypocritical stance.  Many legal prescription drugs have as bad or worse addiction properties than most if not all illegal drugs.  The side-effects of several prescription drugs are in fact severely worse than any illegal one.  I think that we should concentrate on the proper use, education, and control of the substances instead of denying medicine to people that need it.

Having said that, here are some figures on substance abuse:

ExecutiveDrugRehabs.org
http://www.executivedrugrehabs.org/commonly-abused-substances.html

"While most executives aren't necessarily on the street with a crack pipe or injecting heroin, it certainly happens more often then you might think...Prescription drugs are generally the most commonly abused controlled substances...These are sedatives that have a very high potential for abuse that are unfortunately often carelessly prescribed to executives by doctors...Alcohol is of course the most abused substance in America. It's social acceptability and availability make it seem less dangerous, but alcohol claims more lives than all of the others combined...With the massive onslaught of prescription drugs continually hitting the market and the false credo of taking a pill for every ill, there are many substances that can get someone caught in the trap of addiction."

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
http://www.nida.nih.gov/about/welcome/aboutdrugabuse/magnitude/

Approximate Costs of Substance Abuse in the U.S.

Tobacco $138 bill, Illegal Drugs $161 bill, Alcohol $185 bill, Total $484 bill nationally

Sources: Rice, 1999; ONDCP, 2001; Harwood, 2000

The Costs of Drug Abuse are as Substantial as that of other Chronic Conditions:

Diabetes costs society $131.7 billion annually
Cancer costs society $171.6 billion annually

This includes health care expenditures, lost earnings, and costs associated with crime and accidents. This is an enormous burden that affects all of society - those who abuse these substances, and those who don't.  Americans perceive drug abuse as a major Public Health problem.

Many of America's top medical problems can be directly linked to drug abuse:

Cancer: Tobacco contributes to 11-30% of cancer deaths.

Heart Disease: Researchers have found a connection between the abuse of tobacco, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), amphetamines, and steroids and the development of cardiovascular diseases.  Tobacco is responsible for approximately 30% of all heart disease deaths each year.

HIV/AIDS: Approximately one-third of AIDS cases reported in 2000 (11,635) and most cases of hepatitis C (approximately 25,000 in 2001) in the United States are associated with injection drug use.  Approximately half of pediatric AIDS cases (4,700 reported through 2002) result from injection drug use or sex with injection drug users by the child's mother.