Interesting. I wonder if we have stats on painkiller usage per country? I found this ranking of countries by Opiate usage[0] which places the US at 27 (below Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, and the UK.
Maybe I only hang out with granola Americans, but the only people I know who think the way you describe-- looking for pills to solve minor problems-- are relatives of medical personnel.
I can't think of the last time I personally took a pain killer. I didn't even take one after a major surgery I had a couple of years ago.
"The list does not include opioids, which is classified as a different drug under the World Drug Report 2011 list, which is considered "opiates and prescription opioids."
Maybe I only hang out with granola Americans, but the only people I know who think the way you describe-- looking for pills to solve minor problems-- are relatives of medical personnel.
I can't think of the last time I personally took a pain killer. I didn't even take one after a major surgery I had a couple of years ago.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_prevalenc...