I have read in several places that alcohol consumption per person was much higher than it is today. Something on the order of twice today's level. Today's level could be lower for better health of the nation. Something like 1/3 third of all arrests throughout the country are related to alcohol consumption.
It is often stated that alcohol leads to crime, marital violence and wasted or lost lives. It clearly contributes to such things and could reasonably be said to be the cause or a cause in a number of cases. However, I find it more helpful to think of the more basic cause as being human ignorance about what to do with one's own, personal emotional state. The first impulse of most people is to act out, that is, react to anger, fear, boredom, etc. So, one has a drink to change one's state or one strikes another in anger or one registers a complaint with earthly authorities or in a prayer.
The second-level reaction is often to exhort one's self not to be the way one is, not to feel jealous or angry or whatever. In mature adults, such self-admonitions can be effective. However, they are often actually submersions. Not bad in themselves but the emotional state may still need to be addressed later or in some other form. Zen practitioners and other Buddhists and Western psychotherapists advise squarely facing the emotion at its arising or soon after. Accepting that one is human and that emotions are part of one's gifts and that they can be entertained and acknowledged without letting habit or primitive first reactions be the avenue of expression is healthier and actually way more fun.
I have not used heroin or marijuana or other drugs. I imagine they have a place. In today's world, the most widely used drug is probably caffeine and I use that every morning and every noon. I would be terrified to simply swallow some random pill I found in someone's medicine cabinet. I have not found vicodin or strong medicines helpful, although the woozy state I experienced is probably way better than steady pain.
I can see that many citizens are frightened of the present and worried about the future. They would probably not take kindly to the schools trying even more to be sure that kids in schools are familiar with various concepts and practices that are much more helpful in handling strong emotions. Concepts such as clear statements to oneself about the nature, the range of known human emotions, various instances of strong emotions in history, literature and one's own story, quietly telling one's feelings to others can all serve as basic emotional literacy.
