In 2005, morphine patches were introduced in Norway in the hopes of reducing the use and abuse of painkillers. However, researchers have found that the patches are often used incorrectly, which can lead to addiction. Like a nicotine patch, the morphine patch releases small, steady doses of medication over a long period of time, which is good for patients who need low doses of pain-relieving medication. Ideally, this was meant to help reduce drug consumption and control the use of the medication, which would result in fewer cases of dependence. But with so many people using the patch incorrectly, the effect is just the opposite.