Opioid use: the good and the bad

Vicodin. Oxycontin. Percocet. Fentanyl. Each of these medications belongs to a class of prescription painkillers known as opioids. Twenty-five years ago, it was rare to hear of these prescription painkillers being used for much more than treating severe pain and trauma. As opioids are derived from the opium poppy plant, they contain chemicals that relax the body and can relieve pain.

Over the...