It is safe when taken as directed, therapeutically. Much safer than NSAIDs. Misuse and abuse is bad, whether it is opiates or anything else.
As someone put it:
> Under the caveats of a competent physician and a completely med-compliant patient, opiates are perfectly safe. Those are enormous caveats though, given the history and prevalence of incompetent physicians and noncompliant patients (at least in the US).
Have you considered that your perception may have been distorted by irresponsible people? Please put that perception aside when comparing the side-effects of opioids and NSAIDs.
As someone put it:
> Under the caveats of a competent physician and a completely med-compliant patient, opiates are perfectly safe. Those are enormous caveats though, given the history and prevalence of incompetent physicians and noncompliant patients (at least in the US).
Have you considered that your perception may have been distorted by irresponsible people? Please put that perception aside when comparing the side-effects of opioids and NSAIDs.