Has anyone opining on this thread ever actually experienced chronic, INTRACTABLE pain?  Obviously not.  It is has been proven for a Very Long Time that patients receiving opiate therapy for pain RARELY become addicted to their medication.  What pain medicine does for people like this is enable them to function, have a better quality of life, take care of their families, work, etc.  Another very important point:  people in severe pain never get "high" from their medication.

Most importantly:  NONE of this will stop the true addicts from pursuing a fix.  Providing help is great - but there is already help for people who need it and WANT it.  The key word is "WANT" because no amount of legislation will change a person's mind unless they want to change it.  Every single prohibition type movement has failed.  This one will fail also.  All we will see is a spike in suicides by people who have been dumped by their doctors - and a great deal more pain.