Sorry, but it really cracked me up.

and prescribe the appropriate drugs for it--opiates and their chemical replacements.

Perhaps someone needs to lean on the DEA, instead, and get them to police the manufacturers who divert this stuff to organized crime.

Or better yet, end the war (we lost), disband the DEA, and let people in pain have access to the medications that keep them alive and functional.

it has nothing to do with laws, silly.

I didn't spot that. I absolutely agree with your positions.

"you really don't need that drug to treat your chronic illness" accompanied by the associated meme "I don't have that problem, therefore it must not exist, therefore you don't need any pills".

The problem of accidental poisoning comes about when pills in easy to open containers are left where kids can get them. I suspect a lot of them happen at grandma's house.

My pharmacist now uses a combination cap - the threads on top are childproof. Turn the cap over, and those threads are a simple twist off.

As for the notion that people are overdoing painkillers such as oxycontin - that can be a problem with many faces. Some people do get the drug after describing vague symptoms such as back pain. Others need a painkiller for intractable pain, and can't get a script. Finally, others need proper diagnosis and treatment, but are foisted off with a script. My mother had terrible pain in her hip until she found the right physical therapist. She was sent to sports doctors happy to give her something for the pain, but with no time to get at the root of the problem.