Ms. Fread: Regarding the savings, I don't know. The prison sentences which cost so much money are the murder, assault (often felony), repeated instances of DUI (incorrigible). 

I see the real possibility of savings coming from instituting harm reduction policies. Portugal, for instances, is seeing lower costs and instances of problems because they legalized drugs about 15 years ago. They now treat addiction as a medical issue. I will have to wrap my mind around what you have suggested.

Regarding alcohol: I've come to believe many things which this space doesn't allow for. My broadest beliefs are that this problem has a partial answer and that the first step is to take the conversation out of the hands of professionals and move it to the people where it properly belongs. I am a huge believer in human intelligence and respect: these are two things that have been sadly lacking 

We need to look where we have not looked before, because what we have been doing needs reevaluation.