That is truly a silver lining on some shitty news. Man... the federal government is so totally out of touch with everyday American's lives... it's defeating...
Yeah, but a lot of times situations like these are exactly why state and county organizations exist. This is a big country with a ton of different economies and cultures and challenges. Shit that might work in New York might not work in New Mexico, so really they oughta focus on big things, like collecting taxes, national security, diplomatic relations, etc., and really trust the States and smaller governments to implement policies that work for them. You know, as long as they're fair and constitutional and shit.
And here is a really good article, supporting your point. Although I still think that the author is getting tangled up a bit with their cause-and-effect analysis. The opioid epidemic can pretty much be traced right back to the doctors who over-prescribed them in the first place, and thereby transitioning opioids from "street drugs" to "my doctor gave it to me, so it's safe!" Once you make that mental leap, sharing "prescription drugs" with others - or selling your extras, or prescribing it for people who are simply addicted - becomes a really easy justification to make. The big picture is that, where we are now, there is no easy path to the light at the top of this hole.