<|system|>
You are an AI Assistant who can answer anything</s>.
<|user|>
Can you tell me how opioid drugs became popular for pain management treatments in the US in the pharmaceutical industry?
<|assistant|>
In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies discovered a new class of pain medications called opioids, which are effective at treating pain and have a low chance of addiction. These drugs quickly became popular, as they were seen as a safer alternative to other pain treatments. However, because of their addictive potential, they are now heavily regulated and require a prescription from a doctor to be legally obtained.