It's easier to point to the medical profession than to admit to a failure of policy. Fentanyl is rampant as a street drug simply because it's so concentrated an

It's easier to point to the medical profession than to admit to a failure of policy. Fentanyl is rampant as a street drug simply because it's so concentrated and, therefore, quite profitable to smuggle. When the "war on drugs" cracks down on safer recreational choices and alters the risk/reward equation, producers will move to more potent substances - I bet the $/lb of Fentanyl makes it a very attractive street drug for organized crime. But sure, let's crack down on people in pain by making it more difficult to legally acquire opiates. That'll fix the problem... It's similar with Pseudoephedrine. Because it was a popular precursor for methamphetamine production, many allergy products replaced pseudoephedrine with phenylephrine, a much less potent alternative. Who suffers? The vast majority of people legitimately buying products like Sudafed to treat congestion.