[boxed]

The difference being that they convinced doctors to hand this stuff out like candy. It was all legal. Which is why it got that bad in the first place.

[jakelazaroff]

Right, which is why it’s asinine to talk about “crime rate” as though it weren’t wholly dependent on whom we as a society want to call criminals.

[boxed]

"Asinine" is a bit much. There can be huge problems that aren't illegal, but that doesn't mean the crime rate is totally useless. You just have to treat it carefully, like any measurement.