[dave_b]

I’d also argue that, on average, the negative impact of an opioid-related death is greater than that of a smoking-related death. The latter tends to manifest as chronic health issues that extend into old age. Terrible, yes, but these people have at least had relatively full lives with the opportunity to have children and be productive for most it. It’s more akin to obesity than a drug overdose.

Opioid-related deaths tend to involve the rapid destruction of lives, often of young people full of potential, culminating in sudden death due to overdose. Their friends and family then have to live with that horror for the rest of their lives. In terms of lost potential and the psychological trauma inflicted, there’s no comparison. It’s understandable that people consider opioids to be a worse problem than smoking.