What’s remarkable to me is that most people who believe drug control can work believe that gun control can’t work, and also vice versa.
That's not to say that drugs don't have collateral damage. Much does.
But the interactions tend to be systemic rather than acute. And there are several legalised drugs which already cause immense harm.
The issue is how drugs are regulated, and the evidence is overwhelming that criminalising use and addiction have worked poorly.
I don’t agree with counting homicides and suicides together as “gun deaths.” But since many people do: there are about 40,000 gun deaths each year. There are 100,000 drug overdose deaths a year now, which is the result both of people’s own decisions about themselves, and people giving or selling drugs to others to get them addicted.