The harms you describe could also be put down to it being illegal.
I am not saying that’s the only difference. I agree heroin is obviously far more powerful a drug, and far more addictive. So I don’t think it should be fully legalised and sold in shops. But making it legal for addicts to use under medical supervision in special licensed places seems a sensible compromise. It would probably scale down the black market (which reduces drug pushing on new users), it would reduce immediate dangers (heroin is pretty safe when administered properly in a clean environment), and it would probably help addicts get off it and build a new life (it would remove a lot of the chaos from their lives and would expose them to drug counsellors).
I am not saying that’s the only difference. I agree heroin is obviously far more powerful a drug, and far more addictive. So I don’t think it should be fully legalised and sold in shops. But making it legal for addicts to use under medical supervision in special licensed places seems a sensible compromise. It would probably scale down the black market (which reduces drug pushing on new users), it would reduce immediate dangers (heroin is pretty safe when administered properly in a clean environment), and it would probably help addicts get off it and build a new life (it would remove a lot of the chaos from their lives and would expose them to drug counsellors).