Can you actually be addicted to co-codamol?

Maybe this is a silly question, I don’t know. I was dating this guy and he had an addiction to codeine. It started off with a family members prescription but now it’s just buying co-codamol, taking quite a few and repeat. I know logically it probably is, but when I mention my ex had an addiction and I say codeine, people usually say that’s not that bad. I know it’s not like heroin or anything, but it’s a real addiction right? He treated me pretty nasty after the breakup because of the pills supposedly.