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Over-the-counter drug addicts in Dumfries and Galloway are popping up to 40 painkillers a day.

That’s roughly the same amount of morphine as five £10 bags of heroin.

David Grieve, of the Over-Count information agency which assists addicts on the road to recovery, is currently helping 140 people in Dumfries; 56 from Upper Nithsdale and 182 in Stranraer.

He said: “Three quarters of these people are woman. It’s housewives, single mums, doctors, teachers, and pharmacists.

“Through no fault of their own, they become addicted to painkillers. They start taking three pills a day for stress headaches or for period pains then build up a tolerance.

“It quickly climbs up. Three pills becomes four, four pills becomes eight and soon they’re taking 24 a day.

“Some are even taking 40 a day.

He told the Standard that Nurofen Plus, which contains 12.8mgs of codeine, a sleep-inducing and analgesic drug derived from morphine, is the most abused over-the-counter drug.

Mr Grieve has seen a rise locally in the number of people taking over-the-counter drugs in the past five years.

Nurofen Plus pills retail for around £7 for 32 tablets and come with a stark warning not to be taken for more than three days at a time as they’re highly addictive.

Next to that in popularity is Solpadeine followed by Co-Codamol.

Codeine belongs to a class of medicines called opioid analgesics.

They relieve pain by helping to reduce the brain’s awareness of pain impulses.

Mr Grieve, who established Over-Count in 1993 and runs if from his Bankend home, added: “Eight tablets is the equivalent morphine as a £10 bag of heroin.

“People don’t look at it that way.

“If someone tells you they’ve taken eight tablets today you’re not going to bat an eyelid but they’re taking the same amount of morphine in 24 hours as a heroin addicts takes in one hit.

“They think these are safe to take because they’re not prescription but we’ve a hidden army of high street addicts.

“People need to realise that just because they can be bought over the counter doesn’t make them sausages or sweets.”

Over-Count can contacted on 07434 672 032.