Basically, our poor have consistently had options taken away from them, until they're left with "join a gang/sell drugs/guns, or starve" and then you end up with a lot of violence. Add to that lack of social support for families, lack of paid time off, etc....
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I'm torn here. I am against the way we criminalize drugs & I think "wars on drugs" are fools errands. But, as a biologist/scientist, I understand addiction, & I have experienced its effects on my family. Those who become addicted can wreak havoc on themselves & their communities.
That havoc is mostly rooted in the fact that the drugs are illegal in the first place. Prohibition leads to criminal element and violence, and being afraid to seek help due to threat of jail. But that’s another issue. I believe people will always find a way to do what they want.