Actually, yes: millions of Americans are in chronic, intractable pain. They can't get necessary medication, even while they are dying of cancer, because doctors are terrified that the patients will become addicted. As if 60-year-old cancer patients whose spines have crumbled are likely to go out and hold up a 7-11 so they can buy street drugs! The doctors who are sane about this are somewhat hamstrung by drug laws.
It still makes me cringe because my Mother-in-law made the drs take my FIL off of mMorphine because she didn't want him to get addicted. He was in so much pain and he no pain medication until the last 2 days after I threw a screaming, crying fit in the hall for everyone to see...and then she let them give him Demerol.