Research has been done by investigative journalists showing the so called opioid crisis to be grossly misinterpreted. The CDC groups heroin and fentanyl od deaths together with prescription od deaths. They also never mention  what else may have been in the blood of an od victim like alcohol, Xanax etc. No mention of new medications that came out like Exstamsil (hope that's spelled right) which has to be taken with food to activate. It can be crushed, sprinkled over food or whatever but won't work without food so extremely difficult to abuse. Doctor shopping was reduced significantly by 2010. And then there is 2012 where an additional event is not mentioned at all. That's the year the DEA expanded the drug war and helped the Cartels increase their profits. Intentional? Doesn't matter as the drug laws themselves had nothing to do with health. The AMA never endorsed drug laws when they originated and in fact were intentionally left out. In 2012 the DEA forced the manufacturers of Oxycontin to reduce production by 25%. This ultimately created a chain reaction. Shortages, price increases and reduced prescriptions, Doctors quitting under too much regulation etc. Patients committing suicide or turning to street drugs like heroin or fentanyl. Shortages of heroin ensued so Cartels began adding fentanyl to the mix. The Chinese cheaply provide the product and why not since the British taught them well about how a Cartel operates. They got Hong Kong back didn't they? No one talks about how they lost it either. The Cartels profits have soared ever since thanks to their new defacto partner the DEA. The CDC has most of this information but reclassifie it under different heading so it's never the same place to be found. They use these same tactics in other areas as well and are quite good at it. Definitions are often redone to suit their needs. Just look at the last two years. As is often the case most problems arise because of government. And when they are turned to in order to fix it why be shocked when they make it worse. The Express News in San Antonio interviewed County Judge Nelson Wolfe in August 2018 about class action lawsuits coming up. Here's a quote; "We have to get in quickly on lawsuits against Big Pharma or risk LOSING OUT on MAKING MORE MONEY than was MADE in the tobacco lawsuits." So there you go in words of babes. Or in this case Statists.