毒癮危機下,醫生一小時拿出的鴉片製劑高達2700份
Family doctors have been accused of handing out addictive painkillers "as if they were Smarties". Last year, 23.8million NHS prescriptions of potentially habit-forming opiates such as codeine were dished out - 2,700 an HOUR.
有人指控家庭醫生把令人上癮的止痛藥"像聰明豆糖果一樣"往外發。去年，英國國民健康體系有2380萬份處方開了可待因等易上癮的阿片類藥物--每小時2700份。Though given by GPs for legitimate ailments - period pain, headache and chronic conditions - many patients complain of becoming addicted, with little support getting off the drugs. Thousands - like Nicki Hari - buy over-the-counter packs of co-codamol after finishing their prescribed supply.
儘管由全科醫生合法開具用於治療疾病--痛經、頭痛和慢性病--很多病人都抱怨對藥物上癮，在戒癮方面幾乎得不到支持。成千上萬人--如Nicki Hari--在吃完處方藥後，又去購買非處方co-codamol藥物。Co-codamol - a mixture of codeine and paracetamol - is banned without a prescription in America and Australia. The UK's analgesics market is worth an annual ?212million and shoppers can pick up a packet in any pharmacy. In Boots, 32 co-codamol pills cost just ?2.69.
在美國和澳大利亞，co-codamol--可待因和乙酰氨基酚的混合物--沒有處方是無法購買的。英國鎮痛藥的市場價值爲每年2.12億英鎊，每個人都可以在藥房購買。在Boots連鎖店，32顆co-codamol藥丸僅售2.69英鎊。
While very effective for pain control, bringing relief in just 30 minutes, opiates produce a "high". Codeine belongs to the same group of drugs as tramadol, morphine and heroin - derived from the opium poppy.
雖然能有效控制疼痛（30分鐘內可緩解疼痛），但阿片類藥物會讓人感覺飄乎乎的。可待因和曲馬多、嗎啡以及海洛因屬於同一組藥物--源於罌粟。
It has been labelled a "gateway drug" because it can pave the way to serious substance abuse. In 2016, there were a record 3,744 deaths in England and Wales related to drug misuse. Of those, 2,038 were from opiates including heroin and methadone. Latest Office for National Statistics figures also flag up a rising number of deaths from prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
它已被稱爲"入門藥物"，因爲它爲大量濫用藥物鋪平道路。2016年，英格蘭和威爾士有3744人因藥物濫用去世。其中2038人死於阿片類藥物，包括海洛因和美沙酮。英國國家統計局的最新數據也顯示，死於處方藥和非處方藥的人數正不斷上升。Celebrities who became hooked on painkillers include TV host Ant McPartlin, 42, who used them after a knee op went wrong. Former addict Nicki Hari, 50, was given her first codeine dose at just 14 after having her tonsils out. The mum of two says: "Knowing what I know now, I cannot believe how easily doctors gave me codeine - like Smarties. I had no idea I was an addict for years."
那些迷上止痛藥的名人包括42歲的電視節目主持人Ant McPartlin，他在膝關節活動不便時使用了這類藥物。50歲的Nicki Hari之前是位癮君子，14歲切除扁桃體的時候，她服用了第一劑可待因。這位兩個孩子的母親說："現在我知道了這些，我無法相信醫生就那麼隨隨便便的給我開了可待因--就像給人聰明豆糖果一樣。多年來我一直不知道自己是個癮君子。"The prescriptions were followed up with hassle-free repeats at her GP practice. When she finished her prescribed tablets before the next batch was due, Nicki topped up with low-dose over-the-counter co-codamol, exceeding the recommended daily intake.
開完處方藥後，全科醫生又讓她不用擔心，重複使用下去。下一批藥物到期前，當她吃完處方藥片時，Nicki又買了低劑量的非處方co-codamol藥物，超出了日推薦服用量。
