I don't know about that. The immediate post-trauma care of something like a broken leg would reasonably involve strong narcotics. You're not going to be sent home with a batch of it, but may get some on your way to surgery.
> You're not going to be sent home with a batch of it,
You might, that's the issue. Maybe doctors are more hesitant to prescribe such pills now, but for instance they tried to prescribe Vicodin (iirc) to me after I had my wisdom teeth removed (which required general anesthesia to my chagrin.) I refused and took the max recommended dose of over the counter acetaminophen for a few days instead. I was in pain but it was tolerable, the pills they tried to push on me were totally unnecessary.
That sort of post-op pain is only temporary, but a pill addiction could last the rest of your short life.
I'm not sure why you're bringing this up. I'm not advocating for everyone to get Vicodin if they stub their toe. My point is that narcotics, even the strongly addictive ones, have their place in short term or terminal pain management. It would be unconscionable to make them unavailable to everyone.
Some people huff nitrous oxide. That sucks and I wish they didn't do it. I'd still opt in for general anesthesia if I were having surgery done. In my opinions, having those things as options vastly outweigh the cons of their abuse potential.
