"For now, the only viable solution is to make safer drugs available in a safer setting."

Key phrase, "For now."  How long is "now"?  What, "then"?  My hunch, there will be no "then." Nothing will change, except, likely, the problem--addiction, not deaths from it--will grow beyond what it already is.  Why?  Because you've subtracted the "deaths" part of the equation.  

And you call this "viable"?  If viable (usually associated with finances and economic considerations) is what you want to base a decision on, you can't beat "let 'em die."
I'm not advocating this, but...let's be at least clear-headed about this issue.