Doctors want ban on pharmacists selling syrups containing codeine to curb abuse
Doctors have called for cough syrups containing the powerful painkiller codeine to be banned from pharmacies because of rising drug abuse among young people.
Hong Kong Medical Association president Choi Kin said the government had no control over the amount of such syrups sold to pharmacies, which made it easy for shops to sell them to youngsters, contributing to rising abuse of the medicine.
'Many people who abuse cough syrups buy them over the counter from pharmacies. It is a government loophole and we are very concerned about it,' said Dr Choi, who with legislator Kwok Ka-ki will meet officials from the Department of Health today to discuss the issue.
He said it was all right for doctors to prescribe cough syrup with codeine, which was effective for strong coughs, but 'it produces a lot of problems if you allow pharmacies to sell them'.
Dr Choi said he would suggest to the department that it ban sales of codeine syrup in pharmacies or require prescriptions for all sales. Codeine, a cough suppressant that stops diarrhoea and kills pain, is made from the same poppy as heroin.
'Codeine is highly addictive and it is as difficult to quit as heroin,' Dr Choi said. 'But without many symptoms, it is difficult for teachers and parents to discover the problem.'
