> I fail to see how legality is relevant to the question of whether choosing to take a drug is choosing to become addicted.
A substance being illegal basically everywhere should be a strong hint that it may be dangerous. Most of the people on Earth not using a substance is a strong hint that it may not be necessary.
Illegal, dangerous and not necessary: several good reasons not to use it, and no good reason to use it.
Concerning cigarettes, look at how much money has been spent on dissuading people from smoking. With dangerous substances, not using them is the only sure way not to lose.
In conclusion, while I reiterate my support towards helping people already addicted, it is important to pass the right message to those who are hesitating.
Dependency is not an illness that comes on its own: it cannot come without prior usage, thus stay safe and don't use.
I'm sorry but your idea of why drugs are illegal is completely devoid of historical context and medical fact. Two of the most harmful psychoactive drugs we know of are the legal ones: alcohol and tobacco. Some of the least harmful psychoactive drugs we know of are illegal(psychedelics).
Drugs being banned had nothing to do with supposed harmfulness. It had everything to do with suppressing counterculture, racism, and doubling down on failed policy decisions.
And to say there are no good reasons to use drugs is again hopelessly misguided. It's exactly the kind of simplistic, moralistic bullshit that is so obviously false it drives teenagers to ignore any public advice outright. It's just not as black and white as that. Hell, most recreational drugs happen to have legitimate medical uses: opioids, benzodiazepines, cannabis, psychedelics, amphetamine, even meth!
To help guide people away from addiction and into reasonable use we need to acknowledge the good and the bad, not pretend there's only bad. We've been doing that for decades and the jury's in. It doesn't work.
> Dependency is not an illness that comes on its own: it cannot come without prior usage, thus stay safe and don't use.
What are your credentials? MD? at least some sort of medical / physiological phd? have you at least experienced it at all in the past? where are you drawing your knowledge from?
Addiction is something some people are heavily predisposed to. And they don't generally find out about that fact until it's too late.