I think it's a good idea to initially assume most things you read were written in good faith, just to see if it's possible. At the very least it will make your life more pleasant.

In this case, is it possible the author doesn't want you to forget about the shocking numbers of people killing themselves with opiates? Perhaps they wanted to illustrate one reason the opioid epidemic is such a difficult problem, and why doctors keep prescribing opioids in such high numbers. Maybe they wanted to demonstrate that opioids are capable of doing some good, and shouldn't be completely banned or too aggressively limited for everyone. I can't read their mind, but I think it's a useful life skill to assume everyone you meet is a generally good person until they prove you wrong.