Freedom of religion also gets trampled in the drug war. The law attempts to prevent some Native Americans, who use peyote in their religious ceremonies, and Rastafarians, who use marijuana in theirs, from freely practicing their religion. It is interesting to note that during alcohol prohibition in the U.S., Roman Catholics were still allowed to use wine in their religious ceremonies. Two of our most popular legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco, have in the past had very harsh, and very unsuccessful, efforts directed against them. European nations like Bavaria and Russia were unsuccessful in eliminating tobacco use in the 1600's, in spite of handing down the death penalty for mere possession.
Drug wars fail because there is a natural drive for intoxication.
Humans have a strong drive to seek out altered states of consciousness, whether drug-induced or not. Drug taking simply provides a short-cut to these highs. Bighorn sheep in the Canadian Rockies nibble on a narcotic lichen that grows on the bare rocks. The hallucinogenic properties of mescal beans makes them popular with many creatures who inhabit the Texas desert. Drunken elephants have been responsible for deaths in West Bengal.