Alcohol More Dangerous Than Heroin, Cocaine: Study

[Oz]

Alcohol is more dangerous than illegal drugs like heroin and crack cocaine, a study by British researchers has found.

 

The research, by the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD), examined the harm caused by substances including alcohol, tobacco, heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis.

 

Researchers examined how much each drug harmed an individual and also considered the dangers posed by the drug to wider society, such as economic costs and the impact on crime levels.

 

Drugs were scored with points out of 100, with 100 assigned to the most harmful drug on a specific criterion.

 

Heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine were found to pose the most danger to an individual, with scores of 34, 37 and 32 respectively.

 

But when the wider social effects were factored in, alcohol, with an overall score of 72, was judged to be most harmful, followed by heroin at 55, and crack cocaine with a score of 54.

 

The vice-president of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Steve Hambleton, says the conclusions of the study sound "reasonable".

 

He says though alcohol has some social benefits, it can have a range of damaging implications for both the individual and society.

 

"There are medical issues like liver disease, but before that there's relationship breakdown, violence, injury, there's all sorts of social disconnection that impacts on family," he said.

 

Dr Hambleton says you only have to look as far as today's Melbourne Cup to see the role alcohol plays in Australian society.

 

"Alcohol is built into our society - it's embarrassingly built into our society. It's part of our social fabric. We don't seem to be able to have a social gathering without having the alcohol come out," he said.

 

"At the Melbourne Cup, you see all sorts of embarrassing things ... people start drinking at lunchtime and by the evening they're intoxicated and making bad decisions."

 

The ISCD believes the findings, published online in British medical journal The Lancet, should guide government policy on drugs.

 

"The findings correlate poorly with present UK drug classification, which is not based simply on considerations of harm," the study said.

 

"They also accord with the conclusions of previous expert reports, that aggressively targeting alcohol ... is a valid and necessary public health strategy."

 

Dr Hambleton agrees more can be done to tackle the "binge-drinking culture" through policy.

 

"One is the volumetric pricing of alcohol for a start, so that each standard drink costs the same and there's not this perverse intention to buy cask wine or cask port, which has a very high level of standard drinks for a cheap price," he said.

 

"And things like the alcopop legislation didn't go far enough. This harm-minimisation, in some quarters, is too late because the harm is done."

 

But Dr Hambleton says Australia is starting to build some "anti-alcohol sentiment" back into society.

 

"Aboriginal Australians are leading the way, in some ways, having alcohol management programs in their communities.

 

"And I think that's showing leadership from the Aboriginal community that the rest of Australia should have a look at."

Author: Monique Ross

Date: 02/11/12

Source: ABC News

Copyright: © 2010 ABC

[jimbojones5678]

I totally agree with that statement.

 

I grew up in a house of alcoholics and looking back - I would have much rather grown up in a cloud of smoke...

 

Alcohol is a evil drug - far worse than our Mary Jane.

 

Jimbo

[AvaDGardner]

Not surprisingly the study is from the UK where alcohol is abused to excess as it is here.I dont think alcohol is worse than other drugs as its not the use but abuse of it.In moderation it isnt a problem but on the whole it has more of an impact on society than anything else as its legal and socially acceptable and our country was founded on it.

Its like the big campaign at the moment to stop people smoking.Its not becuase they care about your health its becuase finally the pressure on the health services because of smoking related illnesses has reached saturation point and is now costing them more in medical costs than they are getting in revenue from tax.When this happens as a result of alcohol they will do something about it.Thats why it would make sense to legalise marijuana and tax it but I know I am dreaming becuase we are light years behind the rest of the world.

[buttery]

I totally agree with this. On sunday night I came home from work, stood out on the front deck and lit up a joint, and just stared into the night sky (it really was quite beautiful, so many stars and stuff, but I digress).

 

Upon coming inside my mum who was in bed already (it was about 10.30PM) questioned me as to why I had stood outside for so long. I simply said just looking the stars. Then i sat down and had a beer. Then I had another beer. and before long I had drunk a large amount of alcohol without even realising. I threw up, my mum wigged out, and i passed out.

 

Now, whilst I and I alone made myself drink this much alcohol, we really need to ask ourselves why we are pushing people to drink alcohol instead of indulging in the less damaging, infinitly better substance known as Marijuana? I legally walked into a bottle shop and bought those beers that caused me to be heaps sick and spend the next day in bed (in saying this please note that I do not blame the bottle o for selling me the grog).

 

Why is it that this is legal, and marijuana still remains branded as the family destroying drug that causes a host of issues, mentally and physically?

 

As of now, I am going to do everything in my power to see that marijuana is legalised for home use. I may be young, but I still have a long time in my life to do good.

 

/rant.

[bonzajude]

Agree 100%. All of my most risky and poor decisions stem from alcohol. Looking back Im seriously lucky to be alive. Ive tried most street drugs and the worst Ive done on them is send some embarassing text msgs

[Heathen J. Lovechild]

Professor Nutt lost his job for saying the same thing about a year ago. "Having studied many reports over the years I concur that cannabis is remarkably safe for the very vast majority of users, compared with the risks from alcohol or long term risks from tobacco. The Government's refusal to accept the advice of its scientific advisory committee – for the first time ever by any Government – and its continued use of law enforcement to press its moral case on society have exposed prohibition as unjustifiable. "

http://www.nimbinwave.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/drugs_graph.gif

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUmAAMVdcok

[Radic]

greetnz

because of smoking related illnesses has reached saturation point and is now costing them more in medical costs than they are getting in revenue from tax

seen

economists rule

they are serving the love of money

so

when their sacred $ speeks they listen

 

When this happens as a result of alcohol they will do something about it.

seen

that has already happened long ago

this study is calling for action

i this study

imho

this is their first real steps towards riening the alcohol and tobacco industries in

reining in

this is not calling for more prohibition

dont get i wrong

i dont support any prohibition of any drugz

seen

however

we need to be aware so that we are free to make the healthy decisions if we chose

i love this study

is a real eye opener for the youth

 

stood out on the front deck and lit up a joint, and just stared into the night sky (it really was quite beautiful, so many stars and stuff, but I digress).

 

Upon coming inside my mum who was in bed already (it was about 10.30PM) questioned me as to why I had stood outside for so long. I simply said just looking the stars. Then i sat down and had a beer. Then I had another beer. and before long I had drunk a large amount of alcohol without even realising. I threw up, my mum wigged out, and i passed out.

cannabis is nero-protective

studies show that by smoking that spliff before you got wasted pon booze

you saved 75% more brain cells that your mum

that means your mum got 75% more damage than you

the world should know

 

As of now, I am going to do everything in my power to see that marijuana is legalised for home use

more power to yah buttery

yesssss i gotta love and support every utterance

forward ever

free cannabis

Professor Nutt lost his job for saying the same thing about a year ago.

seen sista

 

tingz are hotting up so fast now with the cali vote prop 19 on tomorrow

if the good prof said that today.,.,. would he still face the same verdic????????

 

irey guidance

[four winds]

LMFAO!...This Cop ate some Brownies from the evidence locker and got so stoned he thought he (and his wife) were dying. Serves you right piggy....you cant handle it....Give the brownies back to the stoners. Silly cop

 

[Fibrofeend]

Oh man thats funny...ahhh im dying, whats the game score...

[kush420]

what a dumb cop