Do you think that society should try to stem the tide of prescription overdose deaths?

It has been shown that in the state of New Mexico that there has been an increase of 60% in prescription overdose deaths from 2001 to 2010. These deaths are due to people taking too much of the opioids (pain killers), like oxycodone, morphine, & methadone. These overdose deaths have far out-stripped the deaths from illegal drugs. My question is, are we obligated as a society to try to keep these drugs out of the hands of people who abuse them, especially when laws that would control these drugs would cause undue pain & suffering for those who actually need these drugs. There has to be a point where one has to wonder if trying to control the prescription drug abusers is worth the effort? It gives all of us a heartache when a teenager dies of an overdose, because we feel the pain of the family that looses a child….. but realistically, can society afford to focus its attention on the self-destructive behavior of the individual? Especially if the individual is resistant to seeking help for their addiction? What is your opinion about this problem?