All opioid medicines will carry prominent addiction warnings to protect people “from the darker side of painkillers”, the health secretary has announced.
It comes after figures showed a 60% increase in prescriptions for opioid painkillers in the last decade in England and Wales.
Health experts welcomed the move , saying opioids can cause "life-altering and sometimes fatal addictions".
Opioids, such as morphine or fentanyl, are derived from opium and can be highly effective for managing severe or chronic pain.
Half a million children at risk from deadly measles - which a vaccine can prevent
However, they can also be highly addictive.
Matt Hancock said: "I have been incredibly concerned by the recent increase in people addicted to opioid drugs.
"Painkillers were a major breakthrough in modern medicine and are hugely important to help people manage pain alongside their busy lives but they must be treated with caution.
"We know that too much of any painkiller can damage your health, and some opioids are highly addictive and can ruin lives like an illegal drug.
Hospital apologises to nurses left baffled by pay packets after covering extra winter shifts
"Things are not as bad here as in America, but we must act now to protect people from the darker side to painkillers."
The number of prescriptions issued for opioid medicines has risen from more than 14 million in 2008 to 23 million last year.
And from 2008 to 2018, the number of codeine-related deaths in England and Wales has more than doubled.
Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer for England , welcomed the move.
She said: "We know that long-term use of painkillers can lead to life-altering and sometimes fatal addictions, so I am delighted to see measures put in place to raise awareness of the risks of codeine and prescribed drugs.
"It is vital that anyone who is prescribed strong painkillers takes them only as long as they are suffering from serious pain.
"As soon as the pain starts to alleviate, the drugs have done their job, and it is important to switch to over-the-counter medication like paracetamol which do not carry the same risk of addiction that comes with long term use."
The moving story behind dad's one-of-a-kind 'scar' tattoo after daughter's life-saving heart surgery
Nurse who stole codeine from hospital caught out when colleagues marked a box with a UV pen
