1. There should be a country-wide awareness campaign against unprescribed drug use.
Wasn't in the States since 2010 so I don't know after that, but before that the last time we saw any awareness campaign is Reagen's "Say no to drug" campaign
From what I am seeing, most media are doing the opposite afterward, you have TV show like Soprano, House M.D (House is addicted to Pain Killer IIRC) and who can forget Breaking Bad, and the spin off Better Call Saul and El Chapo, Narco et el?
Yes, they get Bryan Cranston come out and do an Anti-Drug PSA but how much that is gonna do when you have 6 series of Breaking Bad??
2. There should be a country-wide crack down on unprescribed drug use.
Tried that, not working.
In fact, in term of law, US is probably one of the most stringent countries on earth. Most countries punish carrier and trafficking, US punishes procession, you are going to get a slap on the wrist even in death penalty country like Indonesia or Singapore if you have a small procession (a few gram, not enough for trafficking) but in the US, 3 procession charges and you get automatic life in prison.
3. People who are addicted should be forcefully put in high security drug rehabilitation compounds for reformation until they are deemed fit to return.
It's not the issue to get clean, the issue here is to stay clean, again, it's very hard to describe to you when you did not ever addicted to anything (which is good, and you should stay that way)
Yes, you can get over that withdrawal stage, problem is, whatever affecting you in that environment is still going to be there, the people you hang out with, the guy you get your Oxy from, is still there, and more importantly, the need to take it in the first place is still there, and all that combine, and it only need 1 moment of weakness, and you are going to relapse. That's almost guaranteed it WILL happen.
4. Police should be empowered to tackle illegal drugs sellers.
They do, but then it won't work when there are more street corner dealer than cops.....
But Blue States are doing the opposite.
And what about CIA? A fairly proficient drug dealer in itself.
Tough on drug is just one of the issue, it wouldn't stop drug from coming across the border, the core issue is that we need better border security, our border are like a sieve, you get thousands if not tens of thousands of illegal coming across daily, and even 10% of them comes to the US with drugs, you are going to get flooded.
That, I think, was the main issue.