[donkeyd]

> I doubt that all those who got prescribed opioids and got addicted didn't have an underlying solvable problem.

The US health care system is set up to cause exactly these kinds of issues. If you're in pain because of a bad hip, if you're uninsured, it may be much cheaper to just buy pain killers in stead of getting surgery. Once you get used to the pills, the pain is even worse if you stop taking them and might get withdrawals.

Opioids are indispensable in cancer treatment and after many surgeries. In some cases they can be used to combat chronic pain or leading up to surgery. But you're right, they shouldn't be a replacement.

If the US wants to fix this epidemic, just decreasing sales of opioids won't be enough, they'll have to provide the alternative. If people can't get affordable health care, they'll get affordable pain killers.