Re: "Legalising a lot of drugs would reduce the value to criminals"
"Overprescribing" used to be a significant problem here in the US, but that was primarily due to hospitals pressuring and/or punishing physicians for low pain control "satisfaction scores" from disgruntled patients, which can lead to punishment for the physician. Unfortunately, we have persons here who complain if they don't get 100% pain relief post-operatively or post-injury. Also, they believe that MUST have opioids/opiates for their ENTIRE recovery period, which tcan lead to dependence on to addiction. Unreasonable and unrealistic expectations. Usually, 3 to 4 days on prescription pain drugs, then switch to non-prescription pain drugs. Rarely, it can be longer on the prescriptions, but that's usually for major operations or injuries, especially musculoskeletal involvement.
Regarding the supposed "opioid crisis", it is very, very misleading. The government combined legal prescription, illegally obtained prescription drugs, and illegal drugs for their statistics on drug abuse, overdoses, and fatal overdoses. Most of these problems are directly attributable to illegally obtained prescription, and illegal drugs. Diversion of prescription opiates, opioids, and other scheduled drugs are a huge problem, as well as the abuse of illegal / illegally obtained drugs.
The ONLY thing that has resulted is massive problems for the majority good, ethical practioners, and chronic pain patients. Many decent physicians have been harassed, and run out of their practises for doing nothing worse than giving good, proper care for their patients. As well as the severe inconvenience, inability to find treatment for their pain, massive suffering, and increased suicides of chronic pain sufferers, of whom the majority have never abused drugs or anything questionable regarding their medication treatment regime. All because our legal system, and knee-jerk reactions by our lawmakers. Drug abusers are treated better, and with more compassion than are legitimate pain sufferers. I am intimately involved, as a chronic pain sufferer and patient for the past 17 years.