I agree with all of the responses. I do want to elaborate on the difference between alcohol and meth, and the other drugs you've mentioned. Buying a bottle of wine or six pack won't land you in prison for ten years. So the legal factor, along with everything else already said.

Not to split hairs here, but heroin addiction is very much like alcohol addiction--however Meth is far different. Everyone knows of a celebrity (Name your favoirte Rolling Stone) that has been on heroin for many years--but there are NO old meth addicts. Meth kills within years if not treated. Heroin produces the same feeling in the body that we all get from alcohol--which is why taking Nal blocks the feeling. For some reason, the body is created to use narcotics such as heroin--we are born with Narcotics receptors--which is different than almost any other class of drug.