The quiet scandal of Britain's prescription pill epidemic

A mother of five from Staffordshire has spoken of her nine-year battle with codeine addiction, a habit that cost her £6,500 and nearly killed her. Terina Moretto, 45, was taking up to 40 tablets a day at the height of her dependency, a dose medical experts say should be fatal.

Mrs Moretto, from Stoke-on-Trent, first turned to the opiate painkiller in 2016 after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition. The same month, she lost both her mother and her brother. The pills, she said, helped with the physical pain and the grief. Within months, they had taken over her life.

How did a mother of five become addicted to codeine?

Mrs Moretto's story is a familiar one in modern Britain, where prescription painkillers have quietly become a public health crisis. Codeine is a highly addictive opiate, and medical guidance states that no more than eight tablets should be taken in 24 hours. Mrs Moretto was taking five times that amount, often in a single dose.

She told the Birmingham Mail: “I began taking more than I should be and a pack of 28 which would usually last me a month, would be gone in a matter of days. The numbers just crept up. I went from 10 to 12 and the next thing it was 20. After a while I was taking 30 to 40 tablets and that lasted about three years.”

When her prescriptions could no longer cover the quantity she needed, she turned to an illegal source. “I managed to find a guy on Facebook, it's crazy how easy it was and I would get them delivered in the post,” she said. “I would spend around £180 a month on getting a drug dealer to get me codeine and that lasted three years.”

Why did she keep taking the pills?

Mrs Moretto, who has four sons aged 29, 28, 10 and three, and a daughter aged 18, said she believed the codeine was the only way she could function as a mother. “I needed them to function as a mother, it sounds mad to say it, as for most people it wipes them out, but for me it gave me energy,” she said. “I was still able to go out and drive the car to do the shopping and do the housework. It didn't hold me back and if anything it felt like the pills helped.”

She also lost her father in 2020, adding to the trauma of losing her mother and brother four years earlier. “It's no excuse but it was definitely a trigger,” she said. “Codeine helped me feel relaxed and good about myself. It helped me deal with the hardships of life.”

Her two eldest sons were aware of her dependency and pleaded with her to stop. She admitted she lived in constant fear of running out, and would arrange fresh supplies before her last boxes were empty.

What happened when she tried to stop?

Twelve months ago, Mrs Moretto woke up and decided enough was enough. She reached out for help and was prescribed Espranor, a medication used to treat opiate dependence. The withdrawal, she said, was brutal.

“At first I was getting similar withdrawal symptoms to what a heroin addict would experience, things like sweating and shaking, it was just horrible,” she said. “I also became very withdrawn and depressed but I was determined to stay off those pills and I stayed resilient and didn't look back.”

What does her recovery mean for others?

Mrs Moretto, a former support worker, is now celebrating 12 months of sobriety. She wants her story to serve as a warning to others who may be slipping into dependency. “I felt trapped and thought there was no way out but if I can do it, anyone can,” she said. “Now I can be here for the kids. And the extra money to spend on my family has been amazing.”

Her story raises uncomfortable questions about the ease with which addictive prescription drugs can be obtained, both on the NHS and through unregulated online channels. It is a reminder that the war on drugs is not only fought on street corners, but in the medicine cabinets of ordinary British homes.

Mrs Moretto's recovery is a testament to personal resolve, but it also highlights a broader failure: that for too many, the system that should be helping them is instead feeding their addiction.

Is codeine addiction a growing problem in Britain?

Yes. Official figures show that millions of prescriptions for opiate painkillers are issued each year in England alone. While many patients use them responsibly, a significant minority become dependent. The NHS has acknowledged the problem and has been working to reduce prescribing rates, but campaigners argue more must be done to support those already hooked.

For Mrs Moretto, the road to recovery has been long, but she is determined to help others avoid the same trap. “I want people to know there's help out there,” she said. “I'm really proud of myself and my kids are too.”

Photo: Birmingham Mail