It is very difficult to get people to quit opioids long term when they’re in real physical pain and are stuck with a for-profit medical system that they can’t afford. Getting them addiction treatment will not get rid of the pain. Eventually, they’ll go back to using. What choice do they have?
I am a chronic pain sufferer whose nerve disorder is mostly controlled through medication so I absolutely understand how horrible it is to feel pain every day and I know what it feels like to have something that makes it all go away. In my case, I’m taking neurological drugs, not opioids, but if opioids had worked (and I did try them) and I was in financial dire straits, I might be in the same place as they are.