>Therein lies the problem: addiction does not readily yield to teaching not to abuse the drug. In the US there has been an intensive 50 year campaign to educate people not to use tobacco, yet nicotine dependence remains a top public health problem.

Cigarette use among teens is half of what it used to be 20 years ago.

Harm Reduction absolutely makes a difference. Many people develop unhealthy habits with drugs for the same reasons people develop unhealthy habits with food. They don't know any better and draw norms from the environment around them. Most people quit drugs within a decade anyways. In a way it's a problem that solves itself if you manage the destructive social/health outcomes of drug use(most of which are a product of drugs being illegal).

>But don't take my word for any of it. Check out the scientific info sources for yourself, see: http://www.drugabuse.gov/

Which sources for which claims? Posting to the front page of a blog isn't a source.