That's oversimplifying all of those problems. Sure they have been around but not to the degree we have in today's world. We are now seeing the results of 50 years of bad policy, it's always been a snowball effect.
Drugs are less of a choice than many people think, do you really think people would rather rot their teeth out living in a gutter than live a normal productive life?
I'm sure we are talking about different things when we say social priorities. My definition is health and mental care, drug rehab programs, less war spending and more infrastructure spending, accessable education, ect. I'm don't mean individual choices of iPhones and advocado toast.