Opioids have been successfully used for pain relief for many years. One of the concerns about opioid prescription has been opioid addiction and abuse. Indeed, some areas of the media have suggested that increased opioid abuse may be caused by a greater numbers of patients being prescribed opioids for chronic pain management. In contrast to these reports, recent evidence suggests that the problem may not be as serious as once thought. In an extensive review of research papers (which included 17 studies of people being treated with opioids for chronic pain) opioid abuse was reported in 0.4% of patients. This finding is particularly important for doctors considering opioid prescription, who can be reassured that only a very small percentage of chronic pain patients are likely to be at risk of opioid abuse.