Addiction is very real, I don’t think it’s rare at all. Opiates are needed for pain regardless, the war on drugs is bullshit and failed since 1972! Heroin is the opiate epidemic at the time due to the DEA right now. Who becomes addicted? I did and most anyone with the gene to be an addict, I have the addict gene but I also have cancer! Does that mean I or others should suffer, No! Did I abuse them with cancer? No, you don’t want to feel that pain! However, I have been made to in terminal stage 4, I get nothing, they took my pills from me when the cancer returned, tumors on imaging and all, talking about “DEA”! There is also a difference between being dependent and being addicted. Does pain pills lead to Heroin? I had a choice, I wasn’t living in cancer pain — heroin, or marijuana “medical grade” and I’m addict in recovery one my drugs of choice being “opiates” and I never touched the heroin but went with marijuana!