Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that all opioid medicines in the UK will now carry prominent labels warning of addiction risks. The move follows a more than 60% increase in opioid prescriptions in England and Wales over the past decade, rising from 14 million in 2008 to 23 million last year.
Mr Hancock expressed concern over the rising number of people addicted to these drugs, stating that while painkillers are important for managing pain, they must be treated with caution. He noted that some opioids are highly addictive and can ruin lives, similar to illegal drugs, and emphasised the need to act now to protect people from the darker side of painkillers.
Opioids such as morphine, fentanyl, and codeine are effective for severe pain but can cause life-altering and sometimes fatal addictions, according to health experts. The Department of Health also warned that over-the-counter codeine-based painkillers, though weaker, can still lead to addiction. Codeine-related deaths in England and Wales have more than doubled from 2008 to 2018, exceeding 150 annually.
Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England, welcomed the government's action, highlighting the need for greater awareness of the risks associated with these medications.
