The silent drug epidemic hitting middle NZ

Published: 8:13PM Wednesday January 20, 2010 Source: Close Up

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Experts in the addiction field call it a silent epidemic, saying many of us are getting hooked on everyday pain relief and we don't even realise it.

It's not just the dependency, excessive use causes bleeding and stomach ulcers and with some addicts scoffing up to a 100 pills a day it's downright dangerous.

The answer they say is to put restrictions on familiar codeine-based products like Neurofen Plus or Panadeine Plus. But their view is not shared by the self medication industry.

Donna Marie Lever has the story and Tim Roper from the Self Medication Industry and Professor Brian McAvoy from the Community Alcohol & Drug services talk to Mark Sainsbury.

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