“This cries out for a Jim Harper rant.”

. . . says a colleague. Or maybe it speaks for itself.

"Sheriffs want lists of patients using painkillers"

Assuming, for the sake of argument, that the War on Drugs is meant to help people: The helping hand of government strips away privacy before it goes to work.

My 2004 Cato Policy analysis on point is: "Understanding Privacy -- and the Real Threats to It."