drug addiction is a crushing force with a biochemical basis that is not simply about choice

Drug addiction is the result of choices. Unfortunately for some people, like myself, brains are networked in a way that strengthens the reward pathways faster and stronger than others. Addiction is the end result of choices-- addiction is not in itself a choice, but an illness.

drug addition is one of the potent life destroying phenomena in this world, up there with war, hunger, disease, etc

This is entirely subjective, but no I don't believe that drug addiction carries the same weight as war, hunger, and disease of which kill many millions a year in the world. In the US, combining all illicit drugs (not including alcohol) only touches roughly 10,000 deaths. To compare drug use with warfare

is grossly dishonest or uneducated of you on this topic

I'm most certainly not dishonest nor uneducated on the topic. In fact, I've written many thousands of words on the subject and read quite a few more.

drug addiction is a huge social problem and destroys many lives

Yes, I agree. So why are we treating a social problem with legal solutions that do absolutely nothing to curb the effects.

but you don't understand or you are lying about what the policies in those countries actually are: trerat addicts, don't jail them (yay), and ALSO go after dealers just like always for pushing poison (also yay)

You're making a lot of assumptions about what I believe. I never said Portugal was fully legalized. I'm well aware what the policies are there. I do not believe that providing criminals a state sponsored monopoly for drug production is effective. As /u/eliminate1337 stated, when it comes to opiates the most common cause of death is over dose-- generally after a stint of being clean. This is caused by an unregulated market where product purity is a gamble.

This risk is erased when opiates can be produced in laboratories instead of bath rooms. I don't understand what you have against heroin addicts. Given the tone of your post you would like to help them, but the policies your propose do nothing to curb their risk. Legalize it, give them a safe place to use give them the option of Federally funded clinics if they wish to get clean, and watch as less people die.

You claim to want to lessen the effects of addiction, but you propose no method of doing so. Sorry, but making things illegal, including drug production, does absolutely nothing but hurt more people. That has been proven around the world the past 100 years.