You need to read that final sentence in context. It is part of a very carefully written passage in which Bourdain attempts to convey the following message:
Do not get addicted to drugs. You will fuck up your life.
to the audience that most needs to hear it without coming off as judgmental, or holier-than-thou, or hopelessly clueless and naive, or unaware of his own good fortune, and without angering the people -- many of whom he probably counts as friends -- for whom self-medicating with drugs and booze is the least fucked-up of a number of fucked-up alternatives.
My paraphrase accomplishes none of these things, which is why Bourdain is Bourdain and I'm just a drive-by commenter on HN who cooks only as a hobby.
Do not get addicted to drugs. You will fuck up your life.
to the audience that most needs to hear it without coming off as judgmental, or holier-than-thou, or hopelessly clueless and naive, or unaware of his own good fortune, and without angering the people -- many of whom he probably counts as friends -- for whom self-medicating with drugs and booze is the least fucked-up of a number of fucked-up alternatives.
My paraphrase accomplishes none of these things, which is why Bourdain is Bourdain and I'm just a drive-by commenter on HN who cooks only as a hobby.