Opioid painkillers put millions at risk of addiction or dependency – study

Research finds one in three people taking the drugs show signs of becoming dependent, and one in eight are at risk from misuse

Millions of people are addicted to, or at risk of becoming dependent on, prescription opioid painkillers, according to international research.

The study found that one in three people taking prescribed opioid analgesics, which include codeine, tramadol, oxycodone and morphine, show symptoms of being dependent on them, while one in 10 become fully dependent on the drugs.