Yes I agree they are helpful in some circumstances. But I think they are over used many times in this country. My doctor gave me a RX for 30 opioid pills in case I need them. This seems excessive to me especially since I got the nerve block. For example, in India they will give you these for 3 days only. (My husband is from India and his brother is an orthopedic surgeon there so I know. My brother-in-law was shocked they gave me that many). I guess it is a sensitive issue for me too because I have two friends that got addicted and a sister that accidentally OD’d and died on them. And yes, cancer is a whole different thing then what is considered a routine surgery.