Scientists from Britain, who have developed a new method for assessing the harmful effects of illegal substances and drugs, have come to the conclusion that alcohol and tobacco pose a greater danger to society than drugs.
In the latest issue of The Lancet, scientists have proposed changing the generally accepted classification of drugs. The research was conducted at the University of Bristol, and three main indicators were used to assess the harmfulness of substances: harm to health, risk of addiction and danger to society.
A survey was conducted, in which several dozen specialists in this field (narcologists, psychologists, representatives of the authorities and the law) took part. Having processed the survey data, scientists compiled a new rating of the 20 most dangerous drugs.
There were no global changes among the leaders of the rating, it was headed by heroin and cocaine. The next most dangerous are barbiturates and methadone. The main surprise of the study was the fact that alcohol and tobacco, which are legalized in most countries, took 5th and 9th places, respectively. Marijuana took 11th place in the rating, and ecstasy closed the dangerous twenty.
The study’s leader, David Nutt, says the absence of alcohol and tobacco from the UK’s Misuse of Drugs Act is wrong and scientifically unfounded. Statistics show that smoking causes 40% of hospital admissions and alcohol causes half of all emergency room visits.
It is important to remember that no matter how dangerous a drug may be, all narcotic substances have a detrimental effect on the human body and mental system, cause addiction, lead to personality degradation, and are also the cause of many chronic diseases and often lead to death.
Therefore, if you detect symptoms of drug use among your friends or loved ones, do not hesitate, contact specialists and start acting immediately. The sooner you start treatment, the greater the chance of getting rid of alcohol or drug addiction.