Part of what I will introduce to Nassau County Legislators:

When patients are groggy from surgery or following an injury, they are often given pain medication or a prescription for pain medication and told when to take it. Maybe 2 times a day.

The word opioid is not used.  Opioid is a term mostly used by medical professionals and the media.  The word opioid needs to be used when talking to patients so they understand the seriousness of the medication they are receiving.  This medication is part of the “Opioid crisis” they hear about.  A patient given OxyContin or Vicodin may not know they are getting an opioid.

Additionally, healthcare professionals call this health literacy putting the responsibility on the patient to know and understand this.  I want to suggest that this is about communication not literacy so medical professionals are also responsible for being understood and this sort of communication is a two-way responsibility.