^^^whitemilk,,smart idea,,, honestly. opiates are like some kinda black hole that just suck people in and by the time you realize you've been sucked in you are well past the 'event horizon' if you haven't passed that point yet, please turn back while you can.
To quickly reply to the op's question about suboxone, don't kid yourself, suboxone sucks, if you are addicted to good opiates, ya suboxone will stave off withdraw as long as you never stop talking it, but you are still addicted and have to take it daily to avoid getting sick and be locked in to dr appointments , drug tests (no more weed, nothing), counseling etc etc, dont know about you, but not my idea of a good time.
ok before someone jumps down my throat for this, yes suboxone can be an amazing help if YOU REALLY WANT to stop using or have become very self destructive and need an out.
I normally avoid replying to threads like this as I really hate to come off as telling people what to do or being preachy, plus i highly doubt anyone is gonna listen anyway.
Now with that being said, yes there are many functional "addicts" on opiates but its still an addiction, even for functional addicts its still a form of slavery to a pill/powder and will effect your life .. want to go on vacation? got enough pills/dope to go away for a few days? no? well you aren't going. got a lot of work to do but low on pills/dope and feelin shitty, probably wont get done. In a relationship? too sick to have sex this week? bummer. So ya, you can be a functional addict many are, but this is still a reality they live with (speaking from experience).
Now personally i feel prohibition and the fear of someone feeling pleasure causes the majority of the problems associated drugs and drug use even with doctors being afraid to prescribe legal opiates to people in pain, which will often lead them to seek illegal means to self medicate to treat the pain. which may or may not be the best idea,but it sill happens pretty often.