Addiction to over-the-counter drugs is a serious, "often forgotten" problem, doctors warn in today's British Medical Journal...Although codeine phosphate is only available on prescription, it has been available over the counter in combination with aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen for many years.

Advice for my British colleagues:

Stop selling codeine (or rather, codeine containing products) without a prescription. I guarantee an immediate decrease in the number of people addicted to over the counter painkillers. Please...codeine addiction is just embarrassing. Let your people find something worthwhile to abuse.