It all comes from the media. The actual American Medical  studies show less than 5% of people fall into addiction. Yet 95% are treated like criminals.
The public has the idea that people are getting away with something when they need pain meds.
I spent 18 years in horrible pain, in which I wasnt even about to hold a job because I was always calling in sick. I was never even offered a single pain med. Im highly educated BTW.
Oh I was offered things that gave me ulcers, nightmares, and drugs that caused me to even be able to form a complete sentence--but never the very medicine that stops pain. What a joke.

So I suffered all those years for what? What is life even for if every minute of every day is terrible pain.

Think of the media on these recent pharmacy robberies. They make people afraid to go into the pharmacy now--and the workers look at you like your a punk for talking pain meds.
Yet gas station, stationary, jewelers, 7-11's, banks, and the like are robbed at a 5000 to 1 ratio. So why the media? Because people think those who take these meds are getting away with something. Its pure wickedness.