Alcohol is the UK’s most dangerous drug according to a study published today – beating heroin and crack cocaine into second and third place respectively.
The Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs says if drugs were classified on the basis of the harm they do then alcohol would be ranked as a class A, alongside heroin and crack cocaine.
The study examined nine categories of harm that drugs can do to the individual “from death to damage to mental functioning and loss of relationships” and seven types of harm to others – with drugs given a score out of 100.
Alcohol topped the list with an alarming score of 72 with heroin and crack getting surprisingly lower scores of 55 and 54 respectively. Tobacco ranked sixth with a score of 26.
The report was co-written by Professor David Nutt, who was the UK’s chief drugs adviser before being sacked by the government in October 2009.
On the findings, Professor Nutt said: “It is intriguing to note that the two legal drugs assessed, alcohol and tobacco, score in the upper segment of the ranking scale, indicating that legal drugs cause at least as much harm as do illegal substances,”
Results showed that heroin and crack were the most harmful drugs to individuals with alcohol ranked fifth, but the latter came top for most harm caused to others.
Listings: (score out of 100)
1. Alcohol (72)
2. Heroin (55)
3. Crack cocaine (54)
4. Crystal meth (33)
5. Cocaine (27)
6. Tobacco (26)
7. Speed (23)
8. Cannabis (20)
9. GHB (18)
10. Benzodiazepines (15)
11. Ketamine (15)
12. Methadone (13)
13. Butane (10)
14. QAT (9)
15. Ecstasy (9)
