The so-called progressive movement, which now fully backs the vaccine mandate, has NEVER been for the War on Drugs, even when it hadn't failed. And the kinds of behaviors that the political left regards as protected vices are not limited to those engaged in by addicts. For example, high-risk sexual activity that leads to HIV infection rates 100X higher among gay men than the general population, is not associated with any addiction, and yet the vaccine mandate supporters by and large would be the type that would be aghast at any suggestion of deterring such behavior with punitive government measures.
So yes, the motivations are suspect.