New Study: Alcohol More Lethal than Heroine, Cocaine

Alcohol is more dangerous than illegal drugs like heroin and crack cocaine, according to a new study.

British experts evaluated substances including alcohol, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and marijuana, ranking them based on how destructive they are to the individual who takes them and to society as a whole.

Researchers analyzed how addictive a drug is and how it harms the human body, in addition to other criteria like environmental damage caused by the drug, its role in breaking up families and its economic costs, such as health care, social services, and prison.

Heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine, or crystal meth, were the most lethal to individuals. When considering their wider social effects, alcohol, heroin and crack cocaine were the deadliest. But overall, alcohol outranked all other substances, followed by heroin and crack cocaine. Marijuana, ecstasy and LSD scored far lower.

Experts said alcohol scored so high because it is so widely used and has devastating consequences not only for drinkers but for those around them.

When drunk in excess, alcohol damages nearly all organ systems. It is also connected to higher death rates and is involved in a greater percentage of crime than most other drugs, including heroin.

Experts said countries should target problem drinkers, not the vast majority of people who indulge in a drink or two. Furthermore, governments should consider more education programs and raising the price of alcohol so it isn't as widely available.

The study concludes that drugs that are legal cause at least as much damage, if not more, than drugs that are illicit.

For more information or to view the entire article, go to www.lancet.com or http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/01/AR2010110101765.html.