> "For long term pain opioids don't treat the pain"

I imagine if you or someone very close to you had severe chronic pain your ill informed opinion would soon change.

This is an odd question, but for people with chronic and essentially untreatable pains (which is many people, particularly older ones): What is the problem with being addicted to opiates if you are going to take them to manage that pain for the rest of your life anyway? I would want the opiates at that point.

The opioids do not treat the pain!

You end taking life threateningly high doses of opioids, which are not working to reduce your pain.

People with chronic pain need other interventions - rapid access to specialist pain clinics being most important.

> The opioids do not treat the pain!

That's not so black and white. They work to some extent as long as dosages don't keep escalating and use is intermittent. Even the link you posted says as much.

Thank you, I didn't know this. I thought they worked long-term

Are you a chronic pain sufferer?

Yes, I was.

I don't understand why "give people with chronic pain rapid access to specialist pain management clinics, rather than just dumping them on ever increasing opioids" is a controversial statement.

"specialist pain management clinics" isn't a treatment.

I know a chronic pain sufferer and according to her opioids are of short term help but make everything worse in the long run. Unfortunately there are not many ways to treat chronic pain.

What's the better alternative?