One does not need to obsessively watch the news to see that there is a major drug crisis going on in American today. I'm not one to buy into government hype. I don't think global warming will kill us, I didn't believe the Ebola hype. Most government/media panics are garbage that drive ratings up and make politicians feel like they are getting something done. This crisis, however, is a legit crisis and there is no easy way to cure it.
Trying to limit prescription pain pills to those who really need them is like...well, trying to limit the sale of guns to law abiding citizens. You aren't addressing the fundamental problem-it's just window dressing to make yourself feel better. Those who are dying of cancer and desperately need the pain pills in order to make their last few months on earth "comfortable" aren't selling their pills to the local junkie. And if the local junkie is breaking in to their house to steal from them, they need to be punished. Severely.
The root causes of drug abuse need to be addressed, and I'm not talking about D.A.R.E or "Very Special Episodes" of teen television shows (do they even have those anymore?). The opioid crisis is a major problem, and it's not going to solved by doing, or not doing, any one thing.
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