It's not because people are misusing the drugs. It's because the drugs are "poison", Big Pharma is poisoning all you people that insist on using their toxic poisons.
I don't know how many of these painkillers are toxic. But for sure, a lot many of them are extremely addictive, and millions of United States residents suffer from addiction to these drugs. Just see the list of most popular painkillers: Oxycodone, Buprenorphine, Hydromorphone, Dextropropoxyphene.etc. All of them causes severe withdrawal symptoms.
not just painkiller , all the illegal drugs are toxic. but we are doomed to use them.. but painkillers are the worst ones as you said..