Drug Addiction vs Prevention Addiction

Drug addicts are willing to do whatever is necessary to get the drug they want. The US government has become addicted to the idea that they should not have the drugs they want. Neither stance makes a lot of sense. Why should drug addicts give up whatever is necessary to get their drugs? On the other hand, why should the US government, at such enormous cost, doggedly attempt to stop them from getting their drugs? If you don't have the answer to either of those, you are certainly right on the threshold of a break-through into realism about drugs.