The source of the issue is that opioids exist.

Opioids are useful but they have literally been a thorn in the side of mankind's existence since their discovery by Europeans (arguably even before). They have caused no end of trouble. People criticize Asia for its handling of drugs but they do that because they've been through exactly this. Literally exactly this just a few hundred years ago. They fought wars over it and it arguably caused the Communist revolution in China, and the ending of an almost 5000 year old unbroken polity. These are smart, accomplished , compassionate cultures and they've basically all settled on the same solution.