Have to wonder about the reliability of data gathered in studies regarding opioids.  Presumably what is measured is the number of people still being prescribed opioids 3 months or one year after the initial prescription.  

If people have become addicted and resorted to black market sources when their doctors are no longer willing to prescribe, what's the chance they provide an accurate reply to the study team?

Talking down the risks, as this article does, is great for the pharma industry, but we are also reading about a huge spike in fentanyl related deaths, some of which are side-effects of opioid prescriptions gone way wrong.  Connecting the dots on these trends could help to improve best practices in the medical profession.