Based on the examples he gives, physicians seem to have a disappointingly unsophisticated response to the word “addiction” That's because the incentives are no

Based on the examples he gives, physicians seem to have a disappointingly unsophisticated response to the word “addiction” That's because the incentives are not in proportion to the disincentives. Doctors are highly trained, yes, but they adjust their level of discretion in response to liability risk. If the current legal regime treats addiction like the black plague then doctors are going to avoid enabling addicts like the plague, even if that means leaving a lot of legitimate patients in severe pain.