In 2014 people shouldn’t die in pain. Access to palliative drugs ought to be a basic human right. Morphine was isolated by scientists more than 200 years ago and has been sold by medical drug companies since 1827. It is relatively cheap, very safe when used under medical supervision and stops excruciating pain dead. And yet according to the World Health Organisation around 80 per cent of the world’s morphine supply is consumed by six rich countries.