Final answer:
Legal drugs kill roughly 30 times as many people as illegal drugs in the United States, largely due to the misuse of opioid painkillers. Shifts in public opinion have seen increasing support for legalization, particularly of marijuana, yet federal classification remains strict. Crime and homicide rates are also significantly affected by the illegal drug trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing the number of people killed each year in the United States by illegal drugs versus legal drugs, the data and trends indicate that the correct answer to the student's question is b) legal drugs kill roughly 30 times as many people as illegal drugs.
While illegal drugs such as heroin have seen a dramatic increase in deaths, particularly with a 439 percent increase from 1999 to 2014, legal drugs, notably opioid painkillers, contribute to a higher overall mortality.
The misuse of prescription medications and the opioid epidemic have largely driven these numbers, leading to more accidental deaths from drug overdoses than car crashes in 2014, with a significant portion of these overdoses being from heroin and prescription opioids.
Public opinion on drug use, particularly marijuana, has shifted significantly in recent years, with a majority now in favor of legalization for medicinal or recreational use. Nevertheless, federal law still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, creating complex legal scenarios even in states where it's been legalized.
Moreover, the illegal drug trade is often linked to serious crime, like homicides and organized crime syndicates, underscoring the broader societal impacts of both legal and illegal substance abuse.