Tipperary GP doesn’t believe banning codeine products is solution to addiction

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A Tipperary GP doesn’t believe banning codeine products is the solution to addiction.

This week the Health Minister is being called on to remove codeine products from over the counter sale with CSO figures show 33 people have died from a dependency on the pain killer in the past three years.

However, Nenagh GP Pat Harold says that removing the product will only push people towards the black market or see people find other ways to access it.

He told Tipp Today that awareness campaigns are needed to highlight the serious health risks of codeine abuse:

“ If you ban things they become more attractive, they definitely should be in a chemist anyway, but  they think they should do is raise awareness. “

“ They shouldn’t be sold in supermarkets and things like that , the problem is … you can do about half of the chemists in town without anyone knowing about it.”