One short letter's huge impact on the opioid epidemic

[IronLionZion]

3. The recommended dosages were known to be too high

The lawsuits claim the pharma companies knew it was unsafe and addictive from clinical studies, but chose profit over people.

Doctors follow recommended dosages from the pharma companies, who sell it very aggressively. Addiction to these drugs also leads to drug seeking behavior where patients will seek out multiple doctors until someone writes them a prescription, or go on the street for the illegal stuff.

Chronic severe pain is the hardest thing to diagnose. It's not like a doctor can see pain or do a lab test to measure it. They have to take the patients' word for it. It's often a guessing game as it can be pointless arguing with a patient over their level of pain.

Like with many things in this world, moderation is key. Too much can ruin your life.

And there are specific reasons why this opioid addiction is highly concentrated in Appalachia.