Did you read the quoted sentence before replying? I'm not unaware that the consequences of high doses are respiratory shutdown and death.

All I'm trying to get across is that taking a moderate dose of an opiate is exceedingly unlikely to suddenly kill the naive user, as the article suggests - less so than with say, coke or meth, which can interact poorly with a wider range of health conditions and other substances.

None of which is to say that I endorse the use of opiates or recommend them. I am generally all for responsible drug use, but nearly everyone who thinks they can responsibly 'manage' the use of heavy opiates ends up losing that gamble eventually. And the costs are very, very high.