They followed their doctor's orders to take high power opioids, ignorant to the fact that codeine would often work well enough as a starter drug. My fellow physicians are the biggest pushers in America whether they realize it or not. As a rural medical examiner, I see way too much of this. 

Another issue is giving opioids to people with COPD given that such patients should be nowhere near a drug that can cause respiratory depression while they sleep, even at a dose that would not harm a person with normal lung function.