Abuse is a pretty broad term, they don't all become junkies. Taking a couple hydrocodone you had left over from surgery when you have a sore back is technically abusing your medication.

These medications treat severe pain. They're for accident victims, cancer patients, surgical procedures, and people who have to live with chronic pain for any number of reasons.

You want these medications available not only for yourself, should you need them, but to prevent other people from needlessly suffering in extreme pain. I have a lot of compassion for addicts and junkies, but we're not saving them from themselves by denying everyone critical medicine. They'll just buy illegal shit and that's where they're more likely to fatally OD.

My grandfather is 87 with dementia and constant pain fron a broken back. Him becoming addicted to opiates is only a morality issue at this point, and he's being made to suffer in the last years of his life over it.

Not to mention myself.