PRESCRIPTION pain-killing opioid medications are to carry new warnings on their labels stating they can cause addiction.
Morphine and codeine based drugs will be among those carrying the advice about serious side effects if mis-used.
Northern Ireland has one of the highest prescribing rates in Europe for opioid drugs, with an increasing number of deaths linked to the abuse of Tramadol - with more than 400,000 scripts issued annually for the one drug alone.
British health secretary Matt Hancock yesterday announced the new labelling, saying people needed protection "from the darker side to painkillers".
Health experts welcomed the move, saying opioids can cause "life-altering and sometimes fatal addictions".
Over the past decade, the number of codeine-related deaths in England and Wales has more than doubled.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said they have been campaigning for the measure for some time.
Dr Andrew Green of the BMA's GP committee said: "Clearer labelling around what medicines contain, and explicit warnings about the risks of addiction are a step in the right direction.
"Over recent years the BMA has put forward a number of tangible recommendations that would reduce the harm caused by prescription drug dependence, including the creation of a dedicated national helpline and an increase in the provision of specialist support services for those who find themselves in the grip of dependence.
"We continue to push for these solutions as part of the ongoing Public Health England review and hope they will be taken forward when it reports later in the year."
