Having gone to college in the '70s, I was there. There never was a "War on Drugs", though the rightys got a lot of mileage out of that phrase. Listen up! You cannot make war on objects. You might as well declare a "War on Rocks". The "war" was on people, specifically people from low income areas, that were struggling to try and make life bearable. The "War on Drugs" was just a way to dehumanize the people that harmed. That's why it failed--- the drugs are still there. Inanimate objects don't care who you kill or imprison.

So, what? You're waiting for the drugs to surrender? That's moronic.

"Just say no?"
Should start offering assertiveness courses? Because apparently, a lot of people can't say no.

"The war on drugs" has failed miserably and even caused significant social damage to minority groups.
The fact that big pharma was allowed to falsify research results and market extremely harmful drugs didn't help matters. The fact that government agencies are infiltrated by the mafia, like the CAI, FBI, and the military, involved in the drug trade doesn't really help either.

As long as there's demand, you can't solve it. You can limit it, or regulate it, and if you do that intelligently, there are huge gains to be made.
Tacking the cartels is a very good start. But if you don't change the climate that drives people to use drugs, you're just mopping with the tap running.

As a government, you could conduct research to create better drugs. And as a government, you could produce and sell drugs.

Then you've eliminated crime and you have income from sales tax. And from the profits, you can establish a whole addiction treatment industry, which can also be profitable.
Then you have, created a circle, but it is one with an exit for addicts.

I agree that young people have the right to honest information. But I also know a lot of people who curl up in front of the TV, and their children are then saddled with an image of adulthood that is far from attractive.
I used to own a blacksmith shop, and there was room for an addict from rehab to work for a few months to help them adjust to their reintegration into society. I saw how vulnerable these people were. Their own self-worth was completely lacking.
As an adult, giving yourself value is the greatest gift you can give your child. Because they are allowed to be with you, and that creates value. That, along with ensuring you are happy and communicating openly, will largely address the problem.

 Isn’t Trump waging an actual war on drugs by bombing boats?

Yep, and the WOKE, FDS, DFI Socialists,
      Are CRYING about it.

They are blowing up fishing boats, not bluewater speedboats. AND, just because the world's best known LIAR says they're smuggling drugs,without proof, the US has been committing war crimes by blowing up licensed fishing boats.