Just legalize the darned stuff already.

The experience of other countries that have legalized drugs (admittedly not as potent as opioids) is that the number of users actually decreased.  And if dosage and ingestion are safe, the problem largely solves itself.

Furthermore, profits would stay out of the hands of organized crime and terrorists and could go to fund treatment and recovery programs.  The war on drugs is even less winnable than Viet Nam.  Let’s treat the whole thing as a health problem, like tobacco.

A final point.  Opioids, including heroin, were legal in Canada until 1911 (and 1914 in the US).  And while they were a problem, they are far worse today – even with education and efforts to eradicate drug use.