If tobacco and alcohol are so toxic and dangerous why are they legal? If banning and restricting substances was so effective why is there such a large percentage of youth hooked and nearly incapable of anything than petty crimes?

I'll tell you why, because the system to balance itself and justify all the fascism and violence it holds a monopoly on it needs to criminalize a portion of the population to justify general repression. This is how you can maintain the absolute extreme in inequality, violence and legitimizing violence for the benefit of the majority.

I grew up in a society nobody tried to prevent kids from drinking, and I had not seen a kid drunk. Then in the US I was shocked that the first party I attended half the people were tripping falling down and passing out, and that was called fun!

There is a deeper reason of repression, and it is not to protect the public's health. If they gave a shit about health they would have made health care free and accessible to all as a public service it should have been, together with education, shelter, and nutrition.