360 Drug Addiction Admission Leads To Calls For Strict Medication Regulation

Calls for tighter regulations regarding over-the-counter medications have been sparked by Aussie hip hop artist 360's latest song I'm Sorry in which the rapper reveals that a codeine addiction led to him cancelling a number of live shows last year. 

As Fairfax reports, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has announced that it will defer the decision to make codeine prescription only until mid next year, while any changes made will not be brought into effect until 2017.

360, real name Matthew Colwell, reveals in the song which he posted online over the weekend that he was taking "90 pills daily of Nurofen Plus" and that buying drugs in excess was not an issue simply because they were over-the-counter. 

"That's the thing with a codeine addiction, it's over the counter so you don't need prescriptions," Colwell rhymes in the song.

Colwell claims he was found convulsing on the floor by his tour manager whilst backstage at a show. 

"Yo, I overdosed for sure, I was at the venue, I was going to perform/I can't remember, see I was told in a report my tour manager found me convulsing on the floor..."

Watch the full video below.

Dr Suzanne Nielsen from the National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre said Australia is one of few countries left where codeine-based products are still available  over the counter. 

"There are only a small number of countries where codeine is available for sale without any prescription," Nielsen said.

"Most countries do have prescriptions for codeine."

An interim report from the TGA last year recommended that codeine-based products be prescription only, though they announced in November that they had deferred the decision until next year.