Opioids (opium) have been around as long as mushrooms. Just because they are synthetic variations doesn't mean they are that different.
Unless you're talking about people in pain who were forced to the street, after Dr's were (en masse) hazed into stopping pain treatment. In that case, I get your point.
I'd like to less misery caused by heavy-handed drug policy — and it seems to me that decriminalization (and perhaps even legalization) is the way forward.